1.TASTING CIDER (Storey Publishing, 2017, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-61212-837-5 $19.95 USD softbound) is by Erin James, editor-in-chief of Cidercraft and Sip Northwest magazines. It has the subtitle "the Cidercraft Guide to the distinctive flavors of North American hard cider". And of course, it is extremely useful in that regard of North America. Fourteen Canadian ciders are featured, with 8 from Quebec, and 3 from each of Ontario and British Columbia. In all about 100 ciders have been tasted, and there are more than 60 recipes for food and cocktails. Cider covers a wide range, much like beer and wine, from the light to the dark. And it also includes pear as "orchard fruit" cider or even an icewine pear cider. Ciders can be tasted in eleven categories: orchard-based, single-varietal, dessert ciders, hopped ciders (much more attractive to guys), rose ciders, barrel-aged, fruit-infused, and specialties with spices and botanicals. She's got lots of history and culture here, plus interviews with cidermakers. The book is a good accomplishment, and comes with a reading list for further information. But I would have liked more details on European ciders...The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes (especially since it was also directed to a Canadian audience), or at least had a metric conversion chart.
Audience and level of use: cider lovers, or as a beverage reference book
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: from Toronto – Caledon Fizz from the Black Hoof and Grey Gardens, using Spirit Tree Estate draught; Fruity Pot of Tea, from Le Lab Comptoir a Cocktails in Montreal, using Ciderie CRYO Mi-CRYO Ice cider; oven-roasted salmon with neige onion jam, sunny eggs, and buttered toast (from La Petite Maison, using Domaine Neige Neige Premiere).
The downside to this book: my biases are actually in favour of Breton/Norman ciders, which are the finest in the world, followed by some Irish/English ciders.
The upside to this book: a good looking guide to North American ciders, very useful.
Quality/Price Rating: 92
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
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