Scotland is set to see its first cider only tap house brought to you by the talented team at Edinburgh Cider, whose growth and consistency seem to move at lightspeed.
The new site will be located in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge, at 42 St Stephen Street, and is set to open to the public on Saturday, May 6th. Ahead of the grand opening, I sat down with Jim (half of the husband-wife duo behind The Cider House) to find out more about why they’re opening The Cider House, the mentality that drives the Edinburgh Cider Co, and what he believes is in store for Scottish Cider on a wider scale.
So to address the question on the reader’s mind – Who are the Edinburgh Cider Co?
After spending 3 years across the pond in Alaska (Home of the excellent Double Shovel Cider Co.) Jim and his wife Allison developed a love for the new-world-boundary-pushing-dry ciders that the States is becoming famous for. Returning home they failed to find a cider that conjured their memories of Alaskan sunsets, and were inspired to take their first shot at cider making.
Starting in their garage (a theme you will find is shared amongst all the best cider makers, in my opinion) in July 2021 with just a 25L batch they made a cider they really loved, and they were not alone. Soon they had potential stockists lined up and were ready to fire on their first major production batch for September 2021.
It is at this point I ask the reader to remember what they were doing in November of 2021, my assumption is not a lot as the world had yet again halted in yellow tape and lockdowns.
Worry not, no cider was harmed in this debacle, Jim has assured me that he and Allison fairly split the batch and did the correct thing – drink every last drop.
Disastrous, but not fatal, this setback did not shake the dogged determination of the team, and by pulling in family hands the Edinburgh Cider Co rose from the ashes. By finding footing in produce markets and speciality stores as well as being invited to pour at craft festivals across the country, they found month on month growth with direct support from the consumers. This bolster of the community became the engine that let Edinburgh Cider Co truly become Edinburgh Cider.
What is a Cider House?
The tap room is a direct response to that community identity. When asked about why they went down this unusual route, Jim told me that they had the opportunity to pursue wholesale options, but they knew that’s not what Edinburgh Cider is, or what it should be. “Edinburgh Cider is cider for the people who love it, and we want to give it to them, no middle man required.”
The Cider House will be a direct experience from maker to retail with Jim and Allison frequently at the helm, pouring schooners of all of their ciders, as well as tasting flights for a truly explorative experience. Along with their current range which includes Arthur’s Apple, Grassmarket Hopped, Princess St Pineapple, and a selection of unique draught ciders they’ve shown at festivals, they will also be launching a brand new product at the opening, which they are calling “Cidermosa” – apple cider mixed with orange and carbonated and perhaps the David to my Christmas morning Buck’s fizz Goliath.
As well as drinks, The Cider House will feature a rotating kitchen with Souvlaki masters Nae Bother first up to bat. Jim has told me that they are really excited to be working with Nae Bother, and hope to support a range of local food businesses in the community as the business grows.
Launching on May 6th The Cider House will start with opening hours of 2pm-10pm Thursday – Sunday, and you can bet I will be there!
Edinburgh Cider on Scottish Cider
“If I had to describe Scottish cider in one word – fantastic. I am a big fan of all my fellow Scottish cideries, especially the teams at Flemings in Fife and Caledonian in Inverness.” said Jim.
I was lucky to discuss at great length Jim’s experience with and opinions on Scottish Cider.
“I mean Thistly Cross is where it all really took off for us, they weren’t the oldest but certainly are the biggest, and you’ve got to pay respects to originals.” My response was that I feel people like to put down the big guy a lot, but I think they have inspired a lot of us and as far as the big guy goes they [Thistly Cross] are good ones.
This route of conversation led Jim and I to talk about where we think Scottish cider emerged from, and we both agreed on the following: it’s clear that cider in Scotland didn’t start instantaneously from the void, there has constantly been so much support from south of the border. Some of our best cider makers started down in the three counties and the old world cider makers have taught us so much from their experience and tradition. We couldn’t be where we are without them, but we also won’t stay here for long. The biggest strength Scottish cider has right now is its lack of shackles. Not being tied to any massive historic legacy of cider making allows us to experiment, rock the boat, and deliver an outstanding range of explorative products to cider drinkers across the UK.
Closing Time
The Edinburgh Cider Co’s work is definitely challenging the status quo in the UK and it is no surprise to anyone who has seen their lineup of India Hopped, Sour Lacto Ferments, and Tropics, that they have a background in craft beer. By employing these techniques and experimenting with them, they aim to find out how they can translate this plethora of knowledge to the cidersphere.
If you find yourself in the capital and are looking for a cider tasting unlike any you’ve had before, or even just a quick schooner, I urge you to visit the lovely family at Edinburgh Cider. Fundamentally, it’s clear to us they put family and community first, make outstanding ciders, and are definitely ones to keep an eye on.
Over and out.
Written by
Tommy Newbold
Journalist at The Scottish Cider Bulletin
Editorial by
Ivana Ilieva
Editor at The Scottish Cider Bulletin