It is my great pleasure to announce that Hampshire Perry won the Cider/Perry of the Festival at the 2014 Southampton Beer Festival. A fifth award in 2014... and for the perry too!!! I cannot say how pleased I am to win Southampton Beer Festival once again!!
Probably the most important accolades that a cider maker can win are from local events. For me, that would be Southampton and Winchester; both CAMRA festivals that are voted for by the drinkers themselves. And this year I have collected them all. Result.
I am especially pleased because I was involved in the choice of ciders for Southampton and I made very sure it was the best choice of cider and perry the UK has to offer. This is because I like drinking really good cider and, well, if you can choose what you are drinking why not go for the best... I gave no thought to winning something myself. Though I confess to coveting the award just a little bit.
Thank you to all who voted for it at the festival!
Event: Cider of the Festival (Southampton 2010) award presentation Where: The Hop Inn, Wood Mill, Southampton When: this Thursday at 8.30pm
146 won this accolade at its first Festival at the Southampton Beer Festival earlier this year. With things being busy as ever the presentation has been put off several times.
It may also be one of the last times to try 146 2009 cider, as there is little left - and the rest is reserved for a couple of Festivals and the regular Florence Arms (plus a few bottles for the other regulars).
However, there is hopefully going to be plenty for 2011 - well. 1200 litres anyway (400 litres more than 2009).
It makes me very happy to announce that 146 Cider was given the honour of being the ‘Cider of the Festival’ at the recent Southampton Beer & Cider Festival.
This is the first time South Hants CAMRA have awarded this, so I am particularly pleased with the result. As it is nominated by the people who attend the Festival, it is further evidence (to me) that the things are being done properly and that the cider is sellable.
From another point of view, it is also a good result for The Cider Workshop too. As a part of the team that run the Workshop, I can now join the ranks of Ray, Mark and Roy in being producers that are not only commercial, but also have been awarded something for their efforts. I think I may have a little way to go before putting myself on the same level as Mr Gold Award for Service to the Industry Andrew Lea, however. Not a bad line up of people to run a forum though eh!
OK – first off, an apology. Lots has (and is) happening with 146. However, over all that, the disabled facilities at home have just been completed and, following a forced move for a month due to dust playing havoc with my daughters’ health, I have yet to have any real quality time with my laptop!
The first major thing to announce (although if you’re a member of the Cider Workshop you will already have had me posting about it) 146 came 11th out of 40 dry ciders at the Putley Blossomtime Trials in Herefordshire. As a first shot, this is a good standing – beating a number of already commercial ciders is always a good thing if you want to sell cider:-) It was a pretty great day in actual fact, and I encourage producers to have a go next year – if for nothing other than the fun of talking with other producers.
And the other thing to mention? Southampton Beer (and Cider) Festival. Yep, I should have mentioned this before the event, and did indeed plan to. Oh well. I went along yesterday to give 146 a bit of encouragement, and ended up pretty much trying all other 15 of the ciders on sale. A few were extremely sweet, and really not my preference. However, one or two (the Dan Y Draig Medium Dry, and the New Forest Dry) were really very good indeed. I supplied 10 gallons, although they were (unfortunately) in polypins, which doesn’t do much to protect the cider once opened. However, seeing almost an entire 5 gallon disappear over the course of the evening was very encouraging.
Being naturally paranoid about my baby 146 Cider, I kept asking how it was going down (apologies to any of the bar staff reading this!!!) and the general tone was very good. “Most people love it, some hate it – but they are Magners drinkers”. Hmmm. It would seem I have come a long way. Having started out trying to make cider like Magners (I was a staunch ‘Friday night’ Magners man) it would seem I have learnt something over the last 5 – 6 years then!
I am still aiming to have a retail supplier in Southampton soon. As I am not personally licenced, I can only sell 146 to licenced premises – however, once a retailer has been ‘signed up’, I can always point folk to them for the stuff.
