About Company
Master Hopped Cider makers
Beard & Sabre are the champions of hopped cider. Pressing only fresh, traditional cider varieties grown on their Shepton Mallet Orchard and combine them with British hops to craft incredible, unique drinks. Beard & Sabre are combining tradition with vision to craft revolutionary cider.
Beard & Sabre Cider was founded in 2015, with their mission to redefine craft cider. Craft beer had a revolution, but why was cider left behind? We set out to craft the best cider by blending specific pressed apple varieties together to untap unique flavour profiles. Cidermaking has typically been the foray of an aging vanguard – it takes tradition combined with vision to market and distribute cider far and wide. Craft beer calls to the next generation through intrigue and innovation, not only during the blending process, but on the bar and in the fridges too. ‘Beard & Sabre Dry, Medium and Sweet’ just wouldn’t do if we wanted to inspire people to drink our cider.
During the fruit cider rush in 2017/18, we too experimented with these styles. It is well known that cider makes a great vehicle for many other flavours – but we just couldn’t get behind it; to dedicate years of research of blend combinations and varietal attributes, just to have them covered up by overbearing non-pomme fruit. It is during this period we discovered that hops have a unique relationship with cider: they can compliment the ciders inherent acidity and tannin, creating unique (and natural!) drinks that aren’t overbearing.
In 2019 we moved from our launch site, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, to the outskirts of Bristol. We are now only 30 minutes away from our source orchard, Orchard Park Farms in Shepton Mallet. There we press our apples in season and allow to mature for two years. We then take the matured cider to our packaging location at Clutton Hill Farm, infuse (dry hop) our hopped varieties for one month and then pack them into bottle, bag in box and keg so that you can get hold of the good stuff. Alongside Bristol, we field a small Manchester contingent to make sure the North has access to a steady supply of the best hopped cider.
Hopped cider is a fresh concept here in the United Kingdom and we are proud to be the first cidermakers to completely specialize in this unique style of cider.
Whilst hopped cider has a great reception in the United States, it’s less common in Europe as it’s hindered by being in the catch-all made-wine duty band.
Our experience includes creating ciders from fresh wild hops, whole flower cones, hop pellets and even hop essences. Currently there are no published recipes, guidelines or articles on the correct way to hop a cider. As of such, we have carried out extensive research in the field. The range of hops available means that research into hopped cider will be an ongoing process for the cidermaking community. Applying heat during the process can change the resulting cider wildly, for example, and infusion duration is an art more than it is a science (in our humble opinion). Low alpha hop varieties are preferred, as hops used in cidermaking are for flavour, not bittering.
The best hopped cider, in our experience and through experimentation is by preforming a natural infusion with fresh hops opposed to essences, as these can be volatile in nature (and what would the cidergods think?). If you are seeking advice in hopped cidermaking at home, or commercially – we are happy to help, please do get in touch.
Ciders
DOLORES
4% ABV - Medium 100% Pressed - Cascade Hopped 'All thine the new wine of desire, the fruit of four lips as they clung, till the hair and eyelids took fire, the foam of a serpentine tounge.' Dolores, the pagan sacred feminine. Our groundbreaking natural merger, combining traditional cider with British hops. Cascade imparts subtle pineapple and lychee notes to this smooth drinking, session cider.IDUNN
5% ABV - Medium 100% Pressed - Craft Cider Iðunn, the keeper of apples and granter of eternal youthfulness. Idolised in the Poetic Edda Lokasenna - a pagan era goddess. A smooth drinking medium still cider, low in acidity but with a dry mouthfeel imparted from the pressing of specially chosen British bittersweet cider apples. The true taste of the forbidden fruit and a great all year staple that pairs well with food.FREYA
4% ABV - Dry 100% Pressed - Summit Hopped Cloaked in a cape of falcon feathers, imbued with blessings of fertility and love, Freya roams the battlefields selecting those chosen from the slain to enter her eternal field - for she is also the goddess of death and war. This dry cider is infused with Summit hops for a month after its standard maturation; applying natural citrus fruit flavours and a bitter mouthfeel.FULL HOUSE *New
1x Dolores, 1x Idunn, 1x Freya Order all three of our hopped and craft cider polypins for a 20% discount on each! Great for parties, festivals or to stock up your home bar. If you would like to order three of the same type under this offer, or two and one, please choose this option and note the combination in the order comments. Price includes VAT. Cider will keep for 6 months once open, allowing for 'pints on demand' at great value for money. Boxes can be attached to pub handpull lines through the use of a Vitop connector. **ORDERS ARE SENT VIA DHL TRACKED, WITH NEXT WORKING-DAY DELIVERY IF ORDERED BEFORE 11AM**AVAILABLE IN
20 LITRE Bag-in-BoxFOLLOW Beard and Sabre 20 Litre Bag in Boxes ON
Beard and Sabre 20 Litre Bag in Boxes
Combining traditional cider with British hops
Founded in 2015 it was our mission to redefine craft cider. Craft beer had a revolution, but why was cider left behind? We set out to craft the best cider by blending specific pressed apple varieties together to untap unique flavour profiles. Cidermaking has typically been the foray of an aging vanguard - it takes tradition combined with vision to market and distribute cider far and wide. Craft beer calls to the next generation through intrigue and innovation, not only during the blending process, but on the bar and in the fridges too. 'Beard & Sabre Dry, Medium and Sweet' just wouldn't do if we wanted to inspire people to drink our cider.
Hopped cider is a fresh concept here in the United Kingdom and we are proud to be the first cidermakers to completely specialize in this unique style of cider.
AVAILABLE IN
330ml bottles and KegsFOLLOW Beard and Sabre Freya Hopped Cider ON
Beard and Sabre Freya Hopped Cider
This dry cider is infused with Summit hops
Founded in 2015 it was our mission to redefine craft cider. Craft beer had a revolution, but why was cider left behind? We set out to craft the best cider by blending specific pressed apple varieties together to untap unique flavour profiles. Cidermaking has typically been the foray of an aging vanguard - it takes tradition combined with vision to market and distribute cider far and wide. Craft beer calls to the next generation through intrigue and innovation, not only during the blending process, but on the bar and in the fridges too. 'Beard & Sabre Dry, Medium and Sweet' just wouldn't do if we wanted to inspire people to drink our cider.
Hopped cider is a fresh concept here in the United Kingdom and we are proud to be the first cidermakers to completely specialize in this unique style of cider.
AVAILABLE IN
330ml bottles and Bag in BoxFOLLOW Beard and Sabre Indunn Hopped Cider ON
Beard and Sabre Indunn Hopped Cider
A smooth drinking medium still cider
Founded in 2015 it was our mission to redefine craft cider. Craft beer had a revolution, but why was cider left behind? We set out to craft the best cider by blending specific pressed apple varieties together to untap unique flavour profiles. Cidermaking has typically been the foray of an aging vanguard - it takes tradition combined with vision to market and distribute cider far and wide. Craft beer calls to the next generation through intrigue and innovation, not only during the blending process, but on the bar and in the fridges too. 'Beard & Sabre Dry, Medium and Sweet' just wouldn't do if we wanted to inspire people to drink our cider.
Hopped cider is a fresh concept here in the United Kingdom and we are proud to be the first cidermakers to completely specialize in this unique style of cider.
AVAILABLE IN
330ml Bottles and KegsFOLLOW Beard and Sabre Delores hopped cider ON
Beard and Sabre Delores hopped cider
Combining traditional cider with British hops
Blue Label Fine Cider
Congal the Blind
The pinnacle of hopped cidermaking. Explore our Blue Label range; handcrafted by the founders themselves from press to pack. These ultra premium, limited batch, fine ciders are made using specialist techniques and with only the very best ingredients. All are 100% juice and whiskey cask aged. 7% ABV - Dry 100% Pressed - Goldings Hopped Experience cider as you never have before, Congal Caech's sacrifice to the ancestors brings you a 2019 vintage blend of Yarlington Mill, Redstreak and a dash of fermented Jonagold, matured in oak. This 7.0%, 300 bottle blend is infused with Goldings hop, imparting honey and spice that compliments the cider base, unlocking a clear and symmetrical flavour profile that is inaccesable to ciders produced commercially. Each bottle is individually batch numbered and sealed with a 29mm crown cap coated in honey-infused wax, our homage to the story of Congal the Blind. Cider delivered in 1x750ml champagne boxes, vintage and bottle numbers are printed; this cider has no best before and will improve with age. Bottles in series: 300 Year of pressing: 2019AVAILABLE IN
750ml Champagne boxesFOLLOW Beard and Sabre Blue label range: Congal ON
Beard and Sabre Blue label range: Congal
Experience cider as you never have before. Rated 9.5 out of 10! Watch the video review
Cider Tours
Events
live music – craft drink
Visit us at our Bristol Taphouse and drink fresh Beard & Sabre Cider on draught.
Check out all the events at the taproom here: https://www.facebook.com/BeardandSabre/events/?ref=page_internal
Live music is played weekly, if you would like to play at the taphouse please email cider@beardandsabre.co.uk
You can find us at 22-23 Denmark Street, Bristol, BS1 5DQ.