088: In Tasmania w/Patrick Meagher of Simple Cider

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Simple Cider's is located on the southern tip of Tasmania in a region dripping with Apple history. Tasmania was and is still called the Apple Isle making it the perfect place for makers like Patrick and the team at Simple Ciders to launch into the craft.

The cidery started commercially producing ciders in 2014. It is an orchard based cidery, meaning that the apples are grown right alongside the cider mill. Patrick worked as a system's analysis and then winemaker, after as he says jokingly that he was looking  "for a job that allowed me to get really messy, cold and wet on a regular basis. So I went into making wine and cider."

Simple Cider makes small batch, dry apple cider. The ciders are unfiltered and are naturally carbonated, meaning bottle conditioned. Right now they are making approximately 15,000 litres/year or nearly 4000 gallons.

Patrick says, "The fruit is the story" and after tasting both the Cox's Orange Pippin 7.5% alcohol by volume and the Granny Smith & Ginger 8% abv, I have to agree.

The ciders are delicate and dry..maybe even a bit semi dry...with just the right amount of carbonation.

Tasmania is making a slow comeback in growing cider apples, so makers are working with primarily culinary apples while planting cider varieties.

In this chat Patrick talks about the landscape of Tasmania, the cider scene, his ciders and the Wild Cherry,  which is fermented whole cherries using the carbonic maceration technique of fermenting the fruit with in this case pits and a full layer of CO2. This lends a fruity aroma and taste.

Main chat with Patrick begins at 19:56 minutes

Contact Simple Ciders

website: http://simplecider.com.au/our-story/

email: [email protected]

Telephone: 0404 990 644

Mentions in this chat

Featured Artist: Emma Ayres at 14:11 minutes

Singing: Route 3

Find out about Emma’s music via the links below

https://emmajunemusic.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/emmajuneband

Ask for the following 7 #CiderGoingUP Campaign cider supporters - By supporting these cider makers, you in turn help Ciderville.

1. Kurant Cider - Pennsylvania : listen to Joe Getz on episode 14
2. Big Apple Hard Cider - NYC : listen to Danielle von Scheiner on episode 35
3. Oliver’s Cider and Perry - Herefordshire/UK ; listen to Tom Oliver on episode 29
4. Santa Cruz Cider Company - California : listen to Nicole Todd on episode 60
5. The Cider Project aka EthicCider- California
6. Albermale CiderWorks : listen to Chuck Shelton on episode 56
7. Cider Summit : listen to Alan Shapiro founder of this cider fest on episode 75.

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