Cider Perfect Serve Advice

Serving advice for Kentish Pip Trade Customers.

Glassware

Choice of glass is very important.  We do not recommend drinking directly from bottles or cans.  The exception to this is where either glass is not allowed or a can is preferable.  

Choose the glass to suit your environment and customer experience. Smaller tulip shaped glassware allows customers to appreciate the full aromas and offers a more premium serve where larger measures will reduce serving time and queues at the bar.

We supply two variants to our trade customers at cost price.

Stemless Tumblers
Tulip shaped and laser etched with Kentish Pip illustrations, made from a finer glass than the pints these provide a premium experience.

• Will hold a full 330ml can/bottle
• CE marked with 1/3, 1/2 and 2/3 Pint
• No stems for ease of washing and handling

Pint Glass
Straight sided pint glasses for a contemporary style and laser etched with Kentish Pip Illustrations

• Strong tough glass
• CE marked with 1/2 and 1 Pint
• Stackable to save space

Temperature

If you serve cider too cold (< 5°C) the flavour will be masked however it is preferable to open or dispense at the following temperatures allowing the drink to open up in the glass.

Ice?

We occasionally get asked if the cider should be served over ice.  The reason for this is that Magners Original was cleverly and effectively marketed in this way.  All our ciders are conceived to be served as they come so we would not suggest they are served over ice as this will dilute and over chill the cider.

However, just like some people prefer their Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc with an ice cube or two if that is what the customer wants who are we to correct them!

Pouring Height

Something (perhaps) under discussed in cider is the height at which the drink is poured.  In Northern Spain Cidra Natural is poured from a great height to awake and aerate the cider where here in the UK this is not a factor.

What do you achieve from pouring from a height?

• Aerate the cider 
• Allow dissolved CO2 to escape (effervesce) 
• Slight warming from the opening temperature
• A bit of theatre

Together in a similar way to swirling your glass this will release the aromatics and flavour more vividly and who doesn't like a bit of theatre too.

What you don't want to achieve by pouring from a height?

• A drink that has gone flat by the end of the glass
• Excessive froth (head) in the glass
• A mess 

So the larger the serve the more mindful you need to be about the drink going flat before its finished or developing a large head whilst pouring.

We recommend:

• Tilt the glass to catch the cider on the side
• Start pouring near to the glass but not touching 
• Pour steadily it should take more than 10 sec to pour a 330ml can.
• Increase the distance to around 20cm before returning to to the original position as the glass fills