Yankee Brew News Archive

Brewing History: When Cider Was King

Originally Published: 10/96

By: Gregg Smith

In the early history of the American colonies beer was the number one beverage, but by the 1800s it was unseated as America's favorite. That honor went to another drink which could be cheaply produced in abundance--cider.

Not only was cider a convenient way to store an apple harvest, it was considered an essential part of the colonial diet. Shipments of the beverage reached far beyond New England. It gained as great popularity with the farmers, merchants and plantation owners of the south as it did at home.

Great Americans, and drinkers such as Adams, Hancock and Jefferson all imbibed. In fact John Adams is reported to have braced himself with a pint as he started each new day. Then, just as beer seemed destined to second billing, an unusual development occurred and the result was beer's advancement over its competitor. What was so unusual was that the agent of beer's victory was a temperance movement.

The birth of this first American temperance crusade took place in Baltimore, Maryland. It was there that six friends, whose lives had been ravaged by habitual overindulgence, banded together and in jest, at first, took the pledge. Named the Washingtonians, they soon developed the enthusiasm of zealots and carried their message by means of meetings, lectures, preaching, and testimonials. As things progressed the center of strength became deeply rooted, as it would be in later prohibition movements, in rural areas.

Farmers converted to the cause were caught up in the rapture of religious fervor. By the hundreds they swore to have no part in the production of alcoholic beverages. With this intent they took to their orchards with sharpened axes and leveled acre upon acre of productive apple trees. It seems cider production was such a large part of the apple industry no one could think of any other use for the crop. Sadly, New England lost not only its apple growing but also many of its noteworthy local varieties.

The extent of the devastation was best shown in a story which took place years later. A city dweller taking a trip through New England had hired a local driver with a small coach to transport him through the more rural areas. The young man was a fan of Arthur Conan Doyle and the powers of reasoning possessed by his character Sherlock Holmes. In imitation of his hero this gent practiced making his own deductions. As the pair traveled the countryside he correctly identified which farms were the homes of teetotalers. Asked if he had been to this region before the traveler answered no but noted his observations were elementary. Pastures of the non-drinkers remained dotted with the regular pattern of stumps from long-felled orchards.

Despite this setback, small groups of New Englanders maintained the family tradition of putting up part of their apple crop in cider. It is to them we owe thanks for saving this historic drink. Thus, reintroduction of commercial cider is a return to our past. As much as we refer to beer as the all-American drink so we should with cider. Every now and again sit back with a glass and see both our country's history, and autumn in the northeast, in a different light.

Gregg Smith is a Great American Beer Festival Judge and author of "The Beer

Enthusiast's Guide" from Storey Communications and "Beer: A History" from Avon Books.