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Ciders
Sparkling
Cider
Sparkling
cider
is
a
brilliant,
refreshing
and
very
agree-
able
beverage,
which
will
keep
for
a
long
time,
and,
by
some
connoisseurs,
is
preferred
to
champagne.
Pure
ciders
are
very
rich in sugar,
and
they
often
yield
a
great
deal
of
alcohol
which
quickly
flies
to
the
head
of
the
consumer,
as
grape
champagne
does.
Those
who
require
a
good,
healthful,
refreshing
drink
should
always
use
the
milder
ciders.
In
making
Normandy
cider,
which
is
the
most
sparkling,
the
cider
is
allowed
to
stand
for
3, 4,
5
or
6
weeks, during
which
fermentation
proceeds.
The
time
varies
accord-
ing
to
the
nature
of
the
apples
and
also
to
the
tempera-
ture
of
the
store.
When
it
is
very
warm
the
first
fermen-
tation
is
usually
completed
in
7
days.
Before
bottling,
the
liquid
must
be
fined,
and
this
is
best
performed
with
catechu
dissolved
in
cold
cider;
60
grains
catechu
per
hectoliter
of
cider
is
sufficient.
This
is
well
rum-
maged
up
in
the
vats
with
a
stick
and
then
the
cider
is
left
to
settle
for
a
few
days.
The
cider
at
this
stage
is
still
sweet,
and
it
is
a
point
of
considerable
nicety
not
to
carry
the
first
fermentation
too
far.
Very
strong
bottles
should
obviously
be
employed,
such,
for
example,
as
champagne
bottles,
and
the
corks
should
be
wired
down.
The
bottles
should
not
be
quite
filled,
so as
to
allow
more
freedom
for
the
carbonic-acid
gas
which
forms.
When
the
bottles
have
been
filled,
corked
and
wired
down,
they
should
be
placed
in
a good
cellar,
which
should
be
dry,
or
else
the
cider
will
taste
of
the
cork.
The
bottles
should
not
be
laid
for
4
or
5
weeks,
or
breakage
will
ensue.
When
they
are
being
laid
they
should
be
placed
on
laths
of
wood
or
on
dry
sand;
they
should
never
be
stowed
on
cold
or
damp
floors.
Some
makers
of
Normandy
"champagne"
have
re-
course
to
various
dodges
in
order
to
increase
the
"gasi-
ness"
of
their
wares,
especially
if
these
latter
are
of
poor
quality;
but
these
can
generally
be
recognized.
A
fine
bouquet
is
given
to
the
best
ciders
by
pouring
into
each
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