HEREFORD, England - Driving down the farm roads of Herefordshire County you pass apple orchards, meandering sheep, and a town called Hole-in-the-Wall. Quite obviously, you've hit the middle of nowhere.
Yet this pastoral patchwork of potato fields, asparagus gardens, and pear groves along the Welsh border has become a busy travel destination. That's because Herefordshire enjoys the distinction of being the Alcoholic Cider Capital of the World.
In the cider-obsessed United Kingdom, that's no small boast. Sales of alcoholic cider, the popular, fruit-based, youth-oriented alternative to beer and liquor, rose 21 percent this year, according to the National Association of Cider Makers. And this tiny county, the fourth smallest in England, manufactures more than half of the estimated 1 billion pints of cider consumed each year in Britain.
"Cider has been around for centuries, but it's really become popular again within the past 18 months," says Jane Lewis of the Herefordshire Council. Eighteen months ago Bulmers Irish Cider began aggressively advertising its Magners Original Vintage Cider on television and in newspapers. Britons were suffering an unseasonably hot summer, and Bulmers suggested the unusual practice of drinking Magners on ice.
The ads worked, not just for Magners but for the industry. "It brought a halo effect," says Owen Morris, a press officer for the Campaign for Real Ale. "Magners was not a traditional cider, but it was well marketed, and customers began to really up their interest in all ciders."
Walk into most pubs these days, and you'll find Magners, Strongbow, Woodpecker, Scrumpy Jack, Westons, or another cider on tap. "People's tastes have changed," Lewis says. "Magners increased the public's recognition of all ciders, including a lot of smaller ones."
Many environmentally-conscious Britons want food and drinks produced locally. Since Bulmers is an Irish company, English cider fans have turned to Herefordshire. And so a tourist industry has been born. This year, Lewis says, more travelers than ever drove the Herefordshire Cider Route, a 125-mile loop founded in 1999 to promote tourism and cider consumption. Just as whiskey enthusiasts drive from distillery to distillery in Scotland, and beer drinkers guzzle pints across Belgium and Germany, Lewis and the cider producers hope that fans will sip their way through the area.
The route begins at the Hereford Cider Museum and passes 15 breweries. Most let visitors sample drinks, witness the brewing process, and purchase pints or bottles.
For nondrinkers, the route offers appealing views: postcard-worthy cottages, stately horse stables, and acres of orchards. Herefordshire's fertile soil and heavy rainfall make apple-growing easy and produce spectacularly green pastures and ample farm life. A common sight is tourists pulling over to snap photos of the surroundings.
Nestled among the rolling hills are delightful mom-and-pop breweries with names like Greg's Cider Pit and Butford Organics. Their products are delicious and surprisingly robust. In America, hard cider tastes like slightly punched-up apple juice, but English ciders pack a serious wallop. With masculine names like Strongbow and Scrumpy Jack, cider makers are trying to overcome the drink's reputation as beer's wimpy cousin. (Cider may lack beer's fullness, but it contains more alcohol, usually 7 to 8 percent. So monitor your intake or designate a sober driver.)
After visiting several brewers, the ciders will begin to taste similar. Only the most discerning fan would want to hit all 15. But by selecting three or four wisely, you can get a representative sample of the Cider Route in a few hours.
I started my drive at Hereford, the capital city and home of the Cider Museum. The museum details the history of cider-making and provides samples of its brews as well as of a delectable apple-flavored aperitif.
Next I drove east to Ledbury, a quaint and ancient town surrounded by five breweries. I pulled over at Westons Cider Co., the second largest manufacturer in the United Kingdom. Westons is one of the most popular stops along the route because it offers such a variety of activities. At the store, you can taste up to 30 ciders and pear-based ciders called perries. Or you can take a traditional "dray ride" through the countryside on horse-drawn carts. Then sit down to a locally-grown meal at the Scrumpy House Restaurant and Bar.
"We have certainly, certainly seen a substantial increase in visitors in the past few years. We estimate about 25,000 people a year now come here to sample the ciders," says Heather Mead, a Westons executive.
If you're seeking a quieter experience, consider Lyne Down Cider, a farm where the beverage has been produced for centuries. Practically invisible along an unpaved one-lane road, Lyne Down is the quintessential English country house: quaint, historic, and beautiful. Here you can taste "scrumpy," a cloudy cider made from small, withered apples according to an ancient recipe.
If possible, conclude your trip with an evening at one of Herefordshire's many festivals. In May, there are the Big Apple Blossomtime Celebration and the International Cider and Perry Competition. In October, there are four festivals, each one featuring local producers. Lines start at 10:30 a.m., when most festivals open. So arrive early - and don't plan on going anywhere else that night. Once you start sampling the ciders, you may not want to leave.
Robbie Brown, who is studying at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, can be reached at robbiebrown07@gmail.com.
