Perry, also known as pear cider, is an
alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The c ...
made from
fermented
Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...
pear
Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the p ...
s, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, particularly in
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean.
The county town is the city of Gl ...
,
Herefordshire
Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthshire ...
, and
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...
. It is also made in parts of
South Wales
South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, especially
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
and
Anjou Anjou may refer to:
Geography and titles France
* County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou
**Count of Anjou, title of nobility
*Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France
**Duk ...
, and in
Commonwealth countries such as
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
Production
Fruit
Perry pears are thought to be descended from wild hybrids, known as ''wildings'', between the cultivated pear ''
Pyrus communis
''Pyrus communis'', the common pear, is a species of pear native plant, native to central and eastern Europe, and western Asia.
It is one of the most important fruits of temperate regions, being the species from which most orchard pear cultivars ...
'' subsp. ''communis'' and the now-rare wild pear
''Pyrus communis'' subsp. ''pyraster''. The cultivated pear ''P. communis'' was brought to northern Europe by the Romans. In the fourth century CE
Saint Jerome
Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is comm ...
referred to perry as ''piracium''.
Wild pear hybrids were, over time, selected locally for desirable qualities and by the 1800s, many regional varieties had been identified.
The majority of perry pear varieties in the UK originate from the counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire in the west of England; perry from these counties made from traditional recipes now forms a
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
Protected Geographical Indication
Three European Union schemes of geographical indications and traditional specialties, known as protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI), and traditional specialities guaranteed (TSG), promote and protect nam ...
. Of these perry pear varieties, most originate in parishes around
May Hill
May Hill is a prominent English hill between Gloucester and Ross-on-Wye. Its summit, on the western edge of Gloucestershire and its northern slopes in Herefordshire, is distinguishable by a clump of trees on its summit, which forms an official ...
on the Gloucestershire/Herefordshire border.
[Gloucestershire Orchard Group, Pears]
, accessed 08-12-2009 The standard reference work on perry pears was published in 1963 by the
Long Ashton Research Station
Long Ashton Research Station (LARS) was an agricultural and horticultural government-funded research centre located in the village of Long Ashton near Bristol, UK. It was created in 1903 to study and improve the West Country cider industry and ...
; since then, many varieties have become critically endangered or lost. Over 100 varieties, known by over 200 local names, were in Gloucestershire alone.
[Pears and Perry Making in the UK]
, accessed 8 December 2009 These local pears are particularly known for their picturesque names, such as the various "Huffcap" varieties ('Hendre Huffcap', 'Red Huffcap', 'Black Huffcap', all having an elliptical shape), those named for the effects of their product ('Merrylegs', 'Mumblehead'), pears commemorating an individual ('
Stinking Bishop', named for the man who first grew it, or 'Judge Amphlett', named for
Assizes court judge Richard Amphlett), or those named for the place they grew ('
Hartpury
Hartpury is a civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It has an area of about , about 270 homes and a population of about 700 people, increasing to 1,642 at the 2011 census. The village is about north of Gloucester. Geographically the parish ...
Green', '
Bosbury
Bosbury is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, approximately north of Ledbury. The small River Leadon flows through the parish, passing along the west side of the village.Ordnance Survey mapping Bosbury shares a parish cou ...
Scarlet', '
Bartestree Squash'). The perry makers of Normandy grew their own distinctive varieties such as ''Plant de Blanc'', ''Antricotin'' and ''Fausset''; the perry of
Domfront, which has been recognised with
AOC
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of ...
status since 2002 and PDO status since 2006, must be made with a minimum of 40% ''Plant de Blanc''.
[Le Poire Domfront]
accessed 23-05-2018
Pear
cultivar
A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...
s used for perry-making tend to be small in size, turbinate or pyriform in shape, and too astringent for culinary use.
Specific perry pear cultivars are regularly used to make single-variety perries; this was formerly the usual practice in traditional perry making, meaning that in the past, each parish would have produced its own characteristic and distinctive perries due to the very restricted distribution of many varieties.
[Luckwill and Billard (1963) ''Perry Pears: Produced as a Memorial to Professor B. T. P. Barker''. Bristol: National Fruit and Cider Institute, p.27] Blended perries, made from the juices of several varieties, were traditionally disregarded as they tended to throw a haze, though in modern commercial production, this is overcome with filtration and use of a centrifuge.
Good perry pears should have higher concentrations of
tannin
Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.
The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'', ...
s, acids, and other
phenolic compounds.
Some of the pears considered to produce consistently excellent perry include the 'Barland', 'Brandy', 'Thorn,' and 'Yellow Huffcap' cultivars.
Compared to cider apples, perry pears have fewer volatile components and consequently fewer aromatics in the finished product.
Their tannin profile is very different from that of cider apples, with a predominance of astringent over bitter flavours. They do, however, contain a high concentration of deca-2,4-dienoate, a group of esters that affords them their prominent pear aroma.
Another important attribute of perry pears that distinguishes them from cider apples is their relatively higher content ratio of
sorbitol
Sorbitol (), less commonly known as glucitol (), is a sugar alcohol with a sweet taste which the human body metabolizes slowly. It can be obtained by reduction of glucose, which changes the converted aldehyde group (−CHO) to a primary alcohol g ...
to other sugars, such as
fructose
Fructose, or fruit sugar, is a Ketose, ketonic monosaccharide, simple sugar found in many plants, where it is often bonded to glucose to form the disaccharide sucrose. It is one of the three dietary monosaccharides, along with glucose and galacto ...
. Because sorbitol is not readily fermented by
yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constitut ...
, it is not converted to
ethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl ...
, so perry tends to have more residual sugar than cider produced from the fermentation of apples.
In addition to producing a sweeter beverage, sorbitol also contributes to increased body and a softer mouthfeel in the finished perry.
Compared to apples, pear pressing is made more difficult by the additional presence of specialized cells known as
sclereid
Sclereids are a reduced form of sclerenchyma cells with highly thickened, lignified cellular walls that form small bundles of durable layers of tissue in most plants.Evert, Ray F; Eichhorn, Susan E. Esau's Plant Anatomy: Meristems, Cells, and T ...
s, which have thick cell walls that provide extra support and strength to the pear tissue.
Because of this inherent perry pear attribute, the addition of enzymes and pressing aids is a commonly used practice for improving perry production.
Orchard management and harvesting
![Perry_Pear_Orchard,_Wick_Court_(geograph_2567501)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Perry_Pear_Orchard%2C_Wick_Court_%28geograph_2567501%29.jpg)
While cultivation of pears has been to some extent modernised, they remain a difficult crop to grow. Perry pear trees can live to a great age, and can be fully productive for 250 years. Pear trees, both domestic and perry varieties, grow incredibly slowly, taking up to, if not over, a decade before they bear enough fruit for harvest.
They also grow to a considerable height and can have very large canopies; the largest recorded, a tree at
Holme Lacy
Holme Lacy is a village in the English county of Herefordshire. The population of the civil parish was 466 at the 2011 Census.
Category
It is a primarily rural village.
Etymology
Holme Lacy is not from Old Norse ''holmr'' "island" like other pla ...
, which still partly survives, covered three-quarters of an acre and yielded a crop of 5–7 tons in 1790.
[Oliver, T. ]
The Three Counties & Welsh Marches Perry Presidium Protocol
' Given the long maturing period of pear trees, they can be difficult to manage against diseases. Their size makes it difficult to apply pesticides, which makes preventing
fire blight
Fire blight, also written fireblight, is a contagious disease affecting apples, pears, and some other members of the family Rosaceae. It is a serious concern to apple and pear producers. Under optimal conditions, it can destroy an entire orchard ...
, a disease caused by the bacterium ''Erwinia amylovora'' that pears are even more susceptible to than cider apples, quite challenging.
These difficulties, along with demand for perry pears having (until recently) taken a decline, have prompted a national collection of perry pear cultivars to be gathered, housed, and cared for at the Three Counties Agricultural Showground at Malvern in Worcestershire, to maintain genetic resources,
which has now become the
National Perry Pear Centre
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, c ...
at Hartpury. Similar germplasm repositories can be found at the
National Clonal Germplasm Repository The National Clonal Germplasm Repository is a branch of the
Agricultural Research Service research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Repository is a gene bank that preserves genetic resources by various means, inclu ...
in Corvallis, Oregon.
Also, key differences between cider and perry production exist in the harvesting and growing processes. Perry trees famously take more time to mature than cider trees. While cider trees may come to bear fruit in three to five years, traditionally managed perry trees typically take much longer, so much so that people say that one plants "pears for your heirs".
Even when fully grown, pear trees bear less fruit than apples, which is one reason that perry is less common than cider.
When time to harvest comes, pears should be picked before they are ripe and then left to ripen indoors, while apples should be allowed to ripen on the tree.
Both apples and pears suffer from
fire blight
Fire blight, also written fireblight, is a contagious disease affecting apples, pears, and some other members of the family Rosaceae. It is a serious concern to apple and pear producers. Under optimal conditions, it can destroy an entire orchard ...
, which can devastate entire orchards, but pears are also susceptible to pear psylla (also known as ''
Psylla pyri
''Psylla pyri'', commonly known as the pear psylla or pear psyllid, is an insect in the family Psyllidae. Originating in Europe and Asia, it has spread to North America. It is a pest of pear trees, sucking the sap, damaging the foliage, flowers ...
'').
These insects kill the entire pear tree and are very resistant to insecticides, making them a severe problem for pear orchards.
Another added complication is that while apples are often harvested mechanically, pears must be harvested by hand, greatly increasing the time and cost of harvesting.
Perry-making technique
Traditional perry making is broadly similar to traditional cider making, in that the fruit is picked, crushed, and pressed to extract the juice, which is then fermented using the wild yeasts found on the fruit's skin. Traditional perry making employed
querns
Quern-stones are stone tools for hand- grinding a wide variety of materials. They are used in pairs. The lower stationary stone of early examples is called a saddle quern, while the upper mobile stone is called a muller, rubber or handstone. The ...
and a rack and cloth
press
Press may refer to:
Media
* Print media or news media, commonly called "the press"
* Printing press, commonly called "the press"
* Press (newspaper), a list of newspapers
* Press TV, an Iranian television network
People
* Press (surname), a fam ...
, in which the pulp is wrapped in cloth before being squeezed with a press.
Modern perry production can use a
belt press, which is much more efficient for pressing fruit.
It works by sending the fruit down a conveyor belt, on which it is then pressed by rollers.
The principal differences between perry and cider production are that pears must be left for a period to mature after picking, and the
pomace
Pomace ( ), or marc (; from French ''marc'' ), is the solid remains of grapes, olives, or other fruit after pressing for juice or oil. It contains the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems of the fruit.
Grape pomace has traditionally been used to prod ...
must be left to stand after initial crushing to lose
tannin
Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.
The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'', ...
s, a process analogous to wine
maceration.
/sup>">/sup> Additionally, because of the variation in hardness of the fruit, determining if a pear is ready for pressing than an apple can be more difficult.
Also, key chemical compositional differences occur between apples and pears; these factors play a crucial role in prefermentation and fermentation decisions for perry production.
![BeltPress](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/BeltPress.svg)
Compared to most apples, pears tend to have more sugar and total phenolic compounds. The main sugars in perry pears are
glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula . Glucose is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. Glucose is mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide, using ...
(192 –284 mg/L),
xylose
Xylose ( grc, ξύλον, , "wood") is a sugar first isolated from wood, and named for it. Xylose is classified as a monosaccharide of the aldopentose type, which means that it contains five carbon atoms and includes an aldehyde functional gro ...
(140–176 mg/g), and
galacturonic acid
-Galacturonic acid is a sugar acid, an oxidized form of galactose, -galactose. It is the main component of pectin, in which it exists as the polymer polygalacturonic acid.Debra Mohnen "Pectin structure and biosynthesis" Current Opinion in Plant B ...
(108–118 mg/g). Types of sugar that are present in the juice play an important role in yeast activity and determine the success of fermentation. Unlike the juice of apples, pear juice contains significant quantities of unfermentable sugar alcohols, particularly sorbitol. The presence of sorbitol can give perry a residual sweetness, in addition to a mild laxative effect.
Pear juices contain rather low levels of amino acids, sources of nitrogen such as aspargine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid.
After initial fermentation, many perries go through
malolactic fermentation
Malolactic conversion (also known as malolactic fermentation or MLF) is a process in winemaking in which tart-tasting malic acid, naturally present in grape must, is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid. Malolactic fermentation is most often ...
. On average, compared to apples, pears have higher levels of titrable acidity, most of it being citric acid. In environments with high levels of malic acid, such as grape must in winemaking, malolactic fermentation bacteria convert malic acid to lactic acid, reducing the perception of acidity and increasing complexity of flavour. However, if high levels of citric acid are present, as in pear pomace, malolactic fermentation bacteria catabolise citric acid to acetic acid and oxaloacetic acid, instead of lactic acid. This results in a floral, citrus-like aroma in the final product, lacking the diacethyl odour typical for most products that have undergone a malolactic fermentation.
History
The earliest known reference to fermented alcoholic drinks being made from pears is found in
Pliny
Pliny may refer to:
People
* Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'')
* Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...
. Perry making seems to have become well established in what is today France following the collapse of the Roman empire; references to perry making in England do not appear before the
Norman conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...
. In the medieval period, France retained its association with pear growing, and the majority of pears consumed in England were in fact imported from France.
By the 16th and 17th centuries, however, perry making had become well established in the west of England, where the climate and soil were especially suitable for pear cultivation. In the three counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Herefordshire in particular, as well as in
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...
across the Welsh border, perry pears grew well in conditions where
cider apple
Cider apples are a group of apple cultivars grown for their use in the production of cider (referred to as "hard cider" in the United States). Cider apples are distinguished from "cookers" and "eaters", or dessert apples, by their bitterness or ...
trees would not. Smaller amounts were also produced in other cider-producing areas, such as
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
. Perry may have grown in popularity after the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
, when the large numbers of soldiers billeted in the Three Counties became acquainted with it,
[Wilson, C. A. ''Liquid Nourishment: Potable foods and stimulating drinks'', Edinburgh University Press, 1993, p.94] and reached a zenith of popularity during the 18th century, when intermittent conflicts with France made the importing of wine difficult.
[Keeping It Real]
, Royal Horticultural Society Many farms and estates had their own orchards, and many varieties of pears developed that were unique to particular parishes or villages.
Whereas perry in England remained an overwhelmingly
dry, still drink served from the cask, Normandy perry (''poiré'') developed a bottle-fermented, sparkling style with a good deal of sweetness.
[Normandy, World Perry Capital]
Welsh Perry & Cider Society, accessed 8 December 2009
Modern commercial perries
The production of traditional perry began to decline during the 20th century, in part due to changing farming practices– perry pears could be difficult and labour-intensive to crop, and orchards took many years to mature. The industry was, however, to a certain degree revived by modern commercial perry-making techniques, developed by
Francis Showering of the firm Showerings of
Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet is a market town and civil parish in the Mendip District of Somerset, England, some south-west of Bath, south of Bristol and east of Wells. It had an estimated population of 10,810 in 2019. Mendip District Council is based t ...
, Somerset, in the creation of their sparkling branded perry
Babycham.
Babycham, the first mass-produced branded perry, was developed by Showering from application of the Long Ashton Institute's research, and was formerly produced from authentic perry pears, though today it is produced from concentrate, the firm's pear orchards having now been dug up.
Aimed at the female drinker at a time when wine was not commonly available in UK
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
s, Babycham was sold in miniature Champagne-style bottles; the drink was for many years a strong seller and made a fortune for the Showering family.
Prancing to the tune of Babycham
', Daily Telegraph
Daily or The Daily may refer to:
Journalism
* Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks
* ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times''
* ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...
A competing brand of commercial perry,
Lambrini Lambrini is a light and fruity perry or pear cider that was created by Halewood Artisinal Spirits in 1994. It has been owned by Accolade Wines since June 2021. Lambrini dominates the British commercial perry market, with a 53.6% market share in the ...
, is manufactured in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
by
Halewood International
Halewood Artisanal Spirits is a global distiller and distributor of artisanal spirits.
Structure
Halewood Artisanal Spirit's head office is in London and the company distills across the UK, at the following locations: London, Edinburgh, Sn ...
. The
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
drinks company
Cantrell and Cochrane
C&C Group plc (known prior to its flotation as Cantrell & Cochrane Limited) is an Irish manufacturer, marketer and distributor of alcoholic drinks, particularly cider, and soft drinks. It has production facilities across Ireland, Great Britain ...
, Plc, more famous for its
Magners and Bulmers ciders, launched a similar light perry, Ritz, in 1986.
Like commercial
lager
Lager () is beer which has been brewed and conditioned at low temperature. Lagers can be pale, amber, or dark. Pale lager is the most widely consumed and commercially available style of beer. The term "lager" comes from the German for "storage" ...
and commercial cider, commercial perry is highly standardised, and today often contains large quantities of cereal
adjuncts such as
corn syrup
Corn syrup is a food syrup which is made from the starch of corn (called maize in many countries) and contains varying amounts of sugars: glucose, maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to softe ...
or
invert sugar
Inverted sugar syrup, also called invert syrup, invert sugar, simple syrup, sugar syrup, sugar water, bar syrup, syrup USP, or sucrose inversion, is a syrup mixture of the monosaccharides glucose and fructose, that is made by hydrolytic sa ...
. It is also generally of lower strength, and sweeter, than traditional perry, and is artificially carbonated to give a sparkling finish. Unlike traditional perry, its manufacture guarantees a consistent product; the nature of perry pears means producing traditional perry in commercial quantities is very difficult. Traditional perry was overwhelmingly a drink made on farms for home consumption, or to sell in small quantities either at the farm gate or to local inns.
Decline and revival of traditional perry
Both English perry making and the orchards that supplied it suffered a catastrophic decline in the second half of the 20th century as a result of changing tastes and agricultural practices (in South Gloucestershire alone, an estimated 90% of orchards were lost in the last 75 years).
[South Gloucestershire Council – Orchards]
Many pear orchards were also lost to fire blight in the 1970s and 1980s. Along with the clearing of orchards, the decline of day labouring on farms meant that the manpower that was once devoted to harvest perry pears – as well as its traditional consumers – disappeared. It also lost popularity due to makers turning to dessert or general-purpose pears in its manufacture rather than perry pears, resulting in a thin and tasteless product.
In the UK, before 2007, the small amounts of traditional perry still produced were mainly consumed by people living in farming communities.
However, perry (often marketed under the name "pear cider", see below) has increased in popularity in very recent times, with around 2.5 million British consumers purchasing it in one year.
In addition, various organisations have been actively seeking out old perry pear trees and orchards and rediscovering lost varieties, many of which now exist only as single trees on isolated farms. For example, the Welsh Cider Society rediscovered the old Monmouthshire varieties 'Burgundy' and the 'Potato Pear', as well as a number of further types unrecorded up to that point.
[Welsh Cider Society]
accessed 8 December 2009
Naming Controversy
In the past three decades the term 'pear cider' has been used as an alternative name for alcoholic drinks containing pear juice, in preference to the term perry.
The term has been dated to 1995, when
Brothers Cider
Brothers Cider is a brand of fruit cider originating in Somerset in South West England. Originally available at music festivals, it is now served in pubs, bars and stores across the United Kingdom and internationally in countries such as Thailand, ...
found that nobody at
Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
understood what perry was; they began telling customers that it was 'like cider, but made from pears'.
In the UK the new name has caused controversy. The
Campaign for Real Ale
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is an independent voluntary consumer organisation headquartered in St Albans, England, which promotes real ale, cider and perry and traditional British pubs and clubs. With just under 155,000 members, it is th ...
(CAMRA) defines perry and pear cider as different drinks, stating that 'pear cider' as made by the large industrial cidermakers is a pear-flavoured drink, or more specifically a cider-style drink flavoured with pear concentrate, whereas 'perry' should be made by traditional methods from perry pears only.
The National Association of Cider Makers maintain that the terms perry and pear cider are interchangeable, and its rules specify that perry or pear cider may contain no more than 25% apple juice.
[''Pear cider ruling gives perry a timely boost'', '']The Grocer
''The Grocer'' is a British magazine devoted to grocery sales, published by William Reed Business Media. It has been published since 1862.
The Grocer 33
A feature of the magazine is 'The Grocer 33'. This is a survey of each of the 5 leading s ...
'', 19-05-2007[NACM Code of Practice](_blank)
/ref>
See also
*Plum jerkum
Plum jerkum is an alcoholic drink produced from plums. It has been variously described as made in the same way as ciderHart-Davis, D. ''Country Matters, 1988, p.165 and as a fruit wine,Archer, F. ''Farmers, craftsmen and music makers: life in a W ...
, a similar plum cider from Worcestershire
*''Umeshu
is a Japanese liqueur made by steeping ''ume'' plums (while still unripe and green) in and sugar. It has a sweet, sour taste, and an alcohol content of 10–15%. Famous brands of ''umeshu'' include Choya, Takara Shuzo and Matsuyuki. Var ...
''
*Framboise
Framboise () is a Belgian lambic beer fermented with raspberry (''framboise'' is the French word for raspberry).
Beer
In English, ''framboise'' is used primarily in reference to a Belgian lambic beer that is fermented using raspberries. It ...
*Brandy
Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...
References
External links
Apple Cider and Perry Producers in UK
Real Perry on the ukcider Wiki
Out of the Pear Orchard and Into the Glass
from National Public Radio
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
Overview of making perry at home
that in 1790 was recorded as producing 5–7 tons of fruit
{{Alcoholic beverages
British alcoholic drinks
British products with protected designation of origin
English alcoholic drinks
Fermented drinks
French alcoholic drinks
Fruit wines
Pears
Welsh alcoholic drinks