How we make cider

At Aston Manor, we've been making cider since 1996 and own 300 acres of Bittersweet apple trees. The different varieties include Michelin, Kingston Black, Yarlington Mill, Ashton Brown, Dabinett and Ellis bitters.

Bittersweet apples produce superb cider, thanks to their acidic and bitter astringent taste. The acidity comes from the natural malic acid in the apple and the bitterness from the tannins, also found in the apple.

Apple Blossom occurs in May normally free from spring frosts and once the fruit has set on our trees we see the apples develop and grow until harvest in October. Most of the apples are mechanically shaken from the tree and collected by harvesters and delivered to the mill within 48 hours. The apples and are milled and pressed immediately to ensure that only the very best bittersweet juice is collected.  Our fruit farm ensures the very best quality and strict controls to manage all it’s fermentations. Specialist champagne and wine yeasts are added to ensure all the natural sugars are converted to alcohol. Once fermentation is complete the cider is removed to a maturing vessel leaving behind the old spent yeast cells.  The cider is then filtered and the acidity and sweetening is adjusted to ensure a smooth enjoyable drink.