The Joy of Cider

A fun, festive guide for both the enthusiasts and bar professionals! Here isa smart, pop culture-driven look at the hard cider revolution—the what, how, and why of this fantastic beverage.

Let’s face it: just ten years ago, hard cider was something sipped by expats watching rugby matches or pined for by former foreign exchange students. Heck, many people thought cider was something preschoolers drank in sippy cups before naptime.

Not anymore. Hard cider sales have skyrocketed in the last decade, with craft cider sales increasing 49 percent in just the last two years. But though sales and interest in hard cider continue to grow, there’s still more than a bit of confusion regarding this blossoming alcoholic beverage. Is it a beer, or is it a wine? Is cider-beer a thing? Are all ciders sweet? Polls reveal that some drinkers think Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Redd’s Apple Ale are cider (they’re not). This informative book will include:

• A brief overview of world cider history
• A more detailed pop culture history of American cider’s explosive growth
• Definitions, regions, fun facts, and famous cider and apple quotes
• An exploration of cider varieties and brands
• More than 50 cider cocktail recipes!

The book explores the cider varieties and brands to try, touches on the history of the drink that fueled the American Revolution, and details the do’s and don’ts of making cider cocktails.

Jeanette Hurt is the award-winning writer and author of nine culinary and drink books, including the critically-acclaimed Drink Like a Woman, The Cheeses of California: A Culinary Travel Guide, which received the 2010 Mark Twain Award for Best Travel Book, and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wine and Food Pairing. A full-time journalist, Jeanette has written about spirits, wine, and food for TalesofTheCocktail.com, theKitchn.com, Four Seasons magazine, Wine Enthusiast, Entrepreneur.com, Esquire.com, and dozens more. She regularly talks about spirits and cheese on The Lake Effect Show on WUWM, Milwaukee’s NPR affiliate. She has been a featured speaker at the Kohler Food & Wine Experience, Southeast Wisconsin Book Festival, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and more. She’s even taught classes at The Northman, Chicago’s very first cider bar. When she’s not writing, speaking, traveling, cooking, or shaking up some concoction, she can usually be found walking along Milwaukee’s lakefront with her family.

"Jeanette Hurt is well-versed in how food and culture are intricately intertwined." 
—Forbes

“A must-read for any cider lover longing to drink more than the typical sweet cider, Hurt details food and cider pairings as well as creative cider cocktail creations, world cider history, an exploration of cider regions and an easy cidermaking recipe.” 
—Cidercraft Magazine

"The Milwaukee writer and author of several previous food and beverage books recalls that, 10 years ago, hard cider consumption in these parts was largely confined to European expats. But, as Hurt points out, hard cider is more American than apple pie. Our founders drank it by the barrel, and it remained popular through the 19th century . . . The Joy of Cider explores the beverage from the connoisseur angle." 
—David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express