029: At The Hop | Oliver's Cider and Perry, UK

029: At The Hop | Oliver's Cider and Perry, UK

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist May 4, 2016 Duration: 1:07:49

Tom Oliver shares his approach to hopped cider and the best of what the US and UK have to look forward to in the cider market.

What he saw in US hopped ciders back in 2013 ignited his desire to try his hand at adding hops to cider to his bittersweet cider. He worked with 3-different cider blends and Cascade hops, and in turn "ramped up" the bittersweet element to give a bit more of the drying finish.  The hop from the Czech Republic Kazbet was also used and provided a very different profile and balance to the Cascade.

I had a chance to taste his At The Hop pictured below and it was delicious.

Cider Chat Ep 29 At The Hop

What makes cider unique?

"Sharing our techniques or what some might consider trade secrets."

Tom's "Free suggestion" for a cider that will conquer the world???

"If you make a bottle fermented cider with Wickson Crab Apple and put it in small bottles with just enough sweetness to balance it out – it will be the perfect celebratory wedding drink!

What does a US cider offer that is different than the UK cider?

The "massive fruit aroma" which helps compensate for the absence of the bittersweet in the US.

Cider Chat Ep 29. In the Hop
Tom Oliver at CiderCon2016

Mentions in this Cider Chat

  • The implications of the CiderAct.
  • Concentrated juice's use in cidermaking
  • Real cider and  a probable definition of craft cider
  • Who can call them self a craft cidermaker?

What is Good Cider?

  • When you smell it, it does this…
  • When you taste it, it does that…
    • and overall this is what you get with it…

Tom's Tips on the Business of Making Cider

  • Look carefully and set your goals. Is it to make cider and perry or to make money?
  • AND -Thank goodness for the course he took with Peter Mitchell in 1999 on principles and practices, so that he knew fully what he was getting into.

"I get no satisfaction from huge amounts of money. What I do get satisfaction from is knowing that you have enough, to make the best cider you can. If you are making the best cider, you see the reaction of people tasting the cider."

Contact Info for Oliver's Cider and Perry

Thank you to our Founding Sponsor Cider Cellars Importers  of real cider from the UK – Cider Cellars is not longer in business – but we are keeping this up for historically mapping the history of Modern Day Cider.

Support this Podcast via the Cider Chat Patreon Page

 


There’s a whole world in a glass of cider, and Cider Chat is your invitation to explore it. Hosted by award-winning cidermaker and writer Ria Windcaller, this podcast travels far beyond the bottle to meet the people who make the global cider culture so vibrant. Each conversation is a journey-you might find yourself in a heritage orchard learning the history of forgotten apple varieties, in a bustling taproom with an importer explaining regional traditions, or in a kitchen with a chef pairing cider with unexpected foods. The discussions get into the delightful nuances, too, whether that’s the semantics of what we even call this drink or how the concept of terroir translates from soil to sip. It’s not just about production; it’s about the community, the travel, and the stories that fermentation unlocks. This is for anyone curious about the craft, history, and sheer enjoyment of fermented apple juice in all its forms. So, pour a glass and settle in for a series that feels like a wide-ranging, informative, and genuinely good-humored chat with friends who happen to be obsessed with cider. You’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for every effervescent, tart, or sweet sip, hearing directly from the growers, makers, and enthusiasts who are shaping this drink’s exciting present and future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 501

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
498: Heeman's Cellar | Somewhere Cider from Ontario [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:05
In this episode of Cider Chat, we visit Heeman Cellars in Ontario, where a multi-generational strawberry farm expanded into cider and mead production focused on heritage apples, terroir, and experimentation. We taste ble…
496: Liberty Ciderworks | Spokane, WA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:28
Liberty Ciderworks in Spokane, Washington is an urban cidery focused on traditional methods. While located in the city, their cider reflects deep agricultural roots. Cider maker and founder Rick Hastings ferments with wi…
495: Cider Barrels Speak | Bâtonnage & Barrel Aging [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:24
In this archive episode of Cider Chat, we go in a barrel cellar in Prince Edward County, Ontario, with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider and Lee Baker of Keint-He Winery. Listening to Fermentation What Is Bâtonnage in Cide…
494: Humboldt Cider and the Historic Orchard of Albert Etter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:53
In this episode of Cider Chat, we hear from Tom Hart of Humboldt Cider Company, located in Eureka, California along the rugged Pacific coastline behind what locals call the Redwood Curtain. We also discusses preserving t…
493: Cider as a Sport | Sidra in Asturias (Archive Edition) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:28
What is Asturian cider? Asturian cider (sidra natural) is a traditionally fermented apple cider from Asturias, Spain, served through a high pour (escanciado) and shared socially in small servings called culines. This epi…
492: Absolem Cider Company | Maine Cider Energy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:23
This episode of Cider Chat explores the growing Maine cider scene through Absolem Cider Company in Winthrop, a farm-based cidery helping shape New England's evolving cider identity. Located on a 60-acre farm in Winthrop,…
491: Revisiting Randall Grahm | Cider Exploration Without Hesitation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:35
An early conversation that explored possibilities cider was only beginning to consider. As Cider Chat moves toward its 500th episode, we revisit conversations from the earliest seasons, taking a long view of the moments…
490: Let Cider Lead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:32
An editorial on leadership, scarcity, and why cider no longer needs to borrow authority from beer or wine. In Let Cider Lead, host Ria Windcaller steps back from interviews to offer a clear-eyed reflection on the state o…
489: Natural Cider Production Seminar | CiderCon 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:53
Natural cider is often misunderstood as funky, volatile, or flawed. Recorded live at CiderCon 2025, this seminar reframes natural cider as a philosophy of low intervention, balance, and intentional care, not a free pass…