If You Love Cider Then You Have to Try Cluver & Jack Craft Cider! [Review]
Ladies, there’s a revolution happening in South Africa and trust me, it’s a revolution you want to get in involved in. Forget the craft beer revolution, that’s old hat by now. No, I’m talking about the cider revolution and this one is a lot more woman friendly! Of course, we all know that women drink beer (I know I do!) but there are days when I want nothing more than a delicious, crisp cider to cool me down or wake up my taste buds. Sadly, we aren’t blessed with too many craft ciders here in South Africa so we’re stuck with the mass produced stuff which I tend to get sick of one cider in. Luckily for all us cider lovers out there, a new South African made cider, Cluver & Jack is looking to change all that by starting a craft cider revolution of note. Here’s why you have to try this delicious cider this weekend!
The beauty of craft cider is that is handcrafted from freshly-pressed, fruit juice – which means there’s nothing unrecognisable in there to mess with your taste buds. No, this stuff is free from colourants, flavourants and artificial aroma compounds so you know you’re drinking nothing but pure fruit cider. Which is why I love Cluver & Jack cider – it ‘s made from freshly pressed apple juice through a very hands-on process. From the carefully grown apples that are hand-picked from the tree (not off the ground where they soon start to rot); to the way they are chopped up into little pieces in a hopper and then pressed in a specially designed belt press, which slowly squeezes out all the juice. This juice is gravity-clarified in chilled tanks, rather than forced through a filter and is then allowed to ferment at cool temperatures, which allows the capture of the intrinsic elements and aromas in the apple juice. After
From the carefully grown apples that are hand-picked from the tree (not off the ground where they soon start to rot); to the way they are chopped up into little pieces in a hopper and then pressed in a specially designed belt press, which slowly squeezes out all the juice. This juice is gravity-clarified in chilled tanks, rather than forced through a filter and is then allowed to ferment at cool temperatures, which allows the capture of the intrinsic elements and aromas in the apple juice. After fermentation the spent yeast cells are filtered out, and that’s basically it. Cluver & Jack believe that the natural fermentation process does not need to be too complicated, as the real hard work is done in the orchard.
And believe me, you can taste the difference from the very first sip. Cluver & Jack cider is fresh, crisp and just the right amount of sweet and dry. It also tastes like REAL apples – a revelation in the cider game here in South Africa if you ask me! It’s everything a good cider should be and more. So how did they get it so right? Well, it’s simple the guys behind it know the game well. Bruce Jack and Paul Cluver both come from a long family history of wine making and have a deep understanding of fruit and a respect for the making process.
The Cluvers are one of the biggest apple growers in the country and that has enabled co-founders Paul Cluver and Bruce Jack to select specific varieties from specific areas of the farm for the cider, which they know is a unique opportunity. Cluver says, “I think that what makes the partnership great here is that it’s not about two guys who decided to make cider one day. We actually grow apples as well. We understand apples and we know how to take fruit, capture the essence of that fruit and put it into a bottle.”
There’s no doubt about it; you need to sample this unique South African cider soon. Cluver & Jack cider is available from a large number of retailers and restaurants, as well as online at the Paul Cluver shop for R19.50 per bottle. To find out more about Cluver & Jack visit their website. You can also say hi Cluver & Jack on Twitter and Facebook.
