About Us
THISTLY CROSS CIDER - Established in time for Autumn 2008, then having sampled our cider at Farmers Markets across Edinburgh and the Lothians throughout 2009, we can confidently state that we make THISTLY CROSS CIDER in a way that people enjoy.
THISTLY CROSS CIDER is produced at Belhaven Fruit Farm, just outside the East Lothian Harbour town of Dunbar. Dunbar is on record as the sunniest place in Scotland, with the coastal climate and the rich earth of the county, this makes the area perfect for growing fruit.
East Lothian is scattered with well established orchards, typically in the grounds of country houses and large estates. The majority of the apple trees in Scotland are clustered around the sites of the ancient religious centres of North Briton - the trees being descendants of the original monastic plantations. They represent a living link with our past, distant and recent, and the foundation to a successful future.
THISTLY CROSS CIDER hopes to be at the heart of the resurgence of commercial fruit growing in Scotland, and the North. We hope our efforts will offer an incentive to Landowners and Community groups encouraging them to plant new orchards and maintain established plantations. Remember - the definition of an orchard is three or more apple trees. And, a small number of well maintained trees can yield anything up to a ton of fruit.
Cidermaking
Cider is traditionally around 7% abv. Alcohol is produced by fermenting sugar. The natural sugars in apple juice feed the yeast until all the sugar has been 'eaten up'. Cider has now been made - and it will be referred to as being 'dry'. The level of alcohol achieved is normally around 7%, depending on the quality of the season.
Traditional cider relies on the introduction of wild yeasts to the fermenting juice. These wild yeasts are carried on the appleskins - but with wild yeasts, come bacteria and a whole host of nasties. So, we, at THISTLY CROSS CIDER use a combination of particular yeasts to ensure a slow, steady and successful fermentation. The secret to a great tasting cider is to keep it healthy and happy.
We endeavour to ferment over the period of a month, at a cool room temperature, and store the cider until it is properly matured. The maturing process occurs when smaller molecules come together to form bigger chains of molecules. These drop out of the cider - forming a deposit on the bottom of the vessel, to take away the sharp, unripe quality and leave a balanced, well rounded flavour to the cider. This takes a considerable period of time.
THISTLY CROSS CIDER is produced at Belhaven Fruit Farm, just outside the East Lothian Harbour town of Dunbar. Dunbar is on record as the sunniest place in Scotland, with the coastal climate and the rich earth of the county, this makes the area perfect for growing fruit.
East Lothian is scattered with well established orchards, typically in the grounds of country houses and large estates. The majority of the apple trees in Scotland are clustered around the sites of the ancient religious centres of North Briton - the trees being descendants of the original monastic plantations. They represent a living link with our past, distant and recent, and the foundation to a successful future.
THISTLY CROSS CIDER hopes to be at the heart of the resurgence of commercial fruit growing in Scotland, and the North. We hope our efforts will offer an incentive to Landowners and Community groups encouraging them to plant new orchards and maintain established plantations. Remember - the definition of an orchard is three or more apple trees. And, a small number of well maintained trees can yield anything up to a ton of fruit.
Cidermaking
Cider is traditionally around 7% abv. Alcohol is produced by fermenting sugar. The natural sugars in apple juice feed the yeast until all the sugar has been 'eaten up'. Cider has now been made - and it will be referred to as being 'dry'. The level of alcohol achieved is normally around 7%, depending on the quality of the season.
Traditional cider relies on the introduction of wild yeasts to the fermenting juice. These wild yeasts are carried on the appleskins - but with wild yeasts, come bacteria and a whole host of nasties. So, we, at THISTLY CROSS CIDER use a combination of particular yeasts to ensure a slow, steady and successful fermentation. The secret to a great tasting cider is to keep it healthy and happy.
We endeavour to ferment over the period of a month, at a cool room temperature, and store the cider until it is properly matured. The maturing process occurs when smaller molecules come together to form bigger chains of molecules. These drop out of the cider - forming a deposit on the bottom of the vessel, to take away the sharp, unripe quality and leave a balanced, well rounded flavour to the cider. This takes a considerable period of time.
