Customer Reviews

The American Cider Book: The Story of America's Natural Beverage

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Few things in life give more satisfaction than a cool glass of unpasteurized cider, a mug of hot spiced cider, or a bottle of English hard cider. What a pleasure, then, to run across this little book by Vrest Orton, a lifelong Vermonter who spent two years researching the methods of New England cider makers.

The American Cider Book begins with a delightful history of apple cider in England and America, noting, among other things, that John Adams drank a tankard of it every morning and that the humble cider barrel was a symbol of William Henry Harrison's presidential campaign. It goes on to outline the traditional and modern methods for making cider in New England, then devotes a brief chapter to making it in the home. The book concludes with several dozen recipes for cooking with cider and some concluding reflections by the author.

Orton's strong opinions and quirky anecdotes make for an entertaining read. At one point he refuses to reveal the name or whereabouts of one cider maker, fearing that "vast conglomerates that know nothing about cider, vinegar, or even food would vie to buy him out, change his product, destroy its quality, and replace one of the best cider makers I have ever known." At another he notes that he likes to make cider with his wife, since "one of the great and noble functions of womanhood is to stand by and hand things to men to work with."

I should mention that, while the book does walk the reader through the various processes used to make sweet and hard cider, it often lacks in detail. In other words, the book gives you the basics, but you'll also need to use some creativity and common sense to see your cider through from the tree to the glass. This is no doubt what Orton intended, as experimenting is half the fun, but the meticulous reader may want to supplement the American Cider Book with a more specific how-to book. However, do not fail to read Orton's wonderful book first.

The text was hard to follow and was lacking in technical content.too much theory of society and cider .There were some recipes however. No photos, all B/W art , a few sketches....Save your money in my opinion.....Il sell you my book for 7.00