"It makes you think of county fairs in a post war 1950's Britain, sipping something on the stoop of the church steps, after a long hot day playing the coconut shy, feasting on cake competitions, and evokes long lazy summer days, from another time."
Steel Press Cider is part of a movement, much like the craft beer movement, to show people how a great product can be when it's made locally with character and love. And love, this cider, certainly has in abundance.
A Wellington Love Story
Sean Manning, the founder of Steel Press Cider, did it all to impress a girl who would end up being his future business partner. He told her he had a cider brewery because she liked the drink. From that point on there was only one way out. He had to do it. And so, Steel Press Cider was born. And so was their romance.
The product, like it's creators, has plenty of love in it The company’s signature varieties – Brew Bee and Brew Dry – are made in the traditional English way, with nothing added but apples, and select New Zealand ingredients such as the honey that gives the Brew Bee varieties their sweetness. My impression is that this is what a true old fashioned drink should be. Steel Press Cider is dry, tangy and almost wonderfully bitter. It quite different from what we have come to expect from the apple derived syrup water we think of as cider.
A Brew for the Brave
This is not a cider looking to blend in. It is no scrumpy - that's for sure. It is a 'love me or hate me' type of number. And I liked it. It has a subtle caress on the palette tells a story. It makes you pay attention as you drink it. It makes you think of county fairs in a post war 1950's Britain, sipping something on the stoop of the church steps after a long hot day playing the coconut shy, feasting on cake competitions, and evokes long lazy summer days, from another time.
"It has a good tang, and the story behind the drink has plenty of love and heart in in"
As for the taste, it has a good tang and the story behind the drink has love and heart in in. I also like that it is made just from apples and natural ingredients. My preference was the sweeter 'Brew Bee' flavour. It had a smokey overtone, which I can imagine would be perfect in the hot summer months when you want something thirst quenching. It reminded me a little of Hardie Boys Ginger Beer, possibly because it is cloudy. For an authentic, almost mead like Cider, particularly for someone who is a connoisseur, Steel Press Cider is definitely worth giving a whirl.
Check out their website here - and you can get Steel Press Cider at Crumpet and Egmont Street Eatery too!
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