Bill Bradshaw is a photographer, an author of three cider books and consider by many to be a Cider Ambassador for UK ciders.
I met with Bill at the United States Association of Cider Makers annual conference in Portland Oregon in February 2016. Later that same day, Bill was to present an overview of UK ciders to the conference attendees. The presentation took place are the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). You can watch a short clip from Bills very informative presentation below.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/Vl9vqXa-zQQ[/youtube]
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For this chat I asked Bill to give us a peak on some of his highlights for the OMSI presentation and to discuss what a cider tourist might find or where to go when seeking ciders in the UK.
We also discussed the US vs UK cidermaking trends and noted the following about UK ciders:
- 20 ounces is the size of an pint in the UK whereas a US pint is 16 ounces. The British pint is called an imperial pint.
- Classic UK farmhouse cider is 6.5% alcohol by volume
- Cider in the UK is unisex whereas beer in the UK is considered to be more a drink preferred by men.
- People {in the UK} won’t pay a premium price for cider in the UK
- Brix is an American thing
Listen to this short clip via BBC News link to hear Bill discuss his trip the CiderCon2016.
Bill echoed what I was hearing from many UK cider folks attending CiderCon 2016 “It’s inspiring for us folks in the UK to see what we [cidermakers] are doing here in the US.”
Bill summed up UK cider as follows, “What is the secret to British cider? There is no secret. we have the fruit.”
Hmmm, really? I think cidermakers might have a thing or two to say about that. 🙂
Want to take a trip to the UK cider trip? Here are some simple tips to keep in mind.
- Fly into Bristol vs Heathrow. Or do know that it takes 2-hours to get into the region south west of London where many cider houses are located.
- Stop at the Bristol Cider Shop
- The Apple in Bristol – a cider pub on water.
- Look for the Bristol cider map
- Stop in at the Orchid Inn, Bristol
- Stay in town for 2-days and then head out to discover English cider.
“Part of the fun of discovering cider in the British countryside is getting lost.”
UK etiquette for US cider tourist?
“We also make some of the worst cider that you might find alongside the road.”
- Don’t be afraid of saying to the cidermaker that you don’t care for their cider. The cidermaker will take it in stride. “Maybe you can buy something else they are offering (other farm product for sale at the stand or shop).”
- Cider is often poured in a plastic jug to go vs a growler. You can bring along the jug to be refilled at a new stop, and don’t be surprised if the cidermaker there makes fun of the other farmer/cidermaker’s brand “What are you drinking that piss for?” Bill notes that the English are good at popping off jokes on themselves and others. It is all in good fun.
Contact Bill Bradshaw:
Find all contact info for Bill at Bill Bradshaw Photography
Follow Bill on Twitter @iamcider
Follow Bill on Facebook as he works towards a cider documentary project with writer Pete Brown via Cider Hunters
Bill Bradshaw cider books.
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