Scrumpy

Scrumpy

A bottle of commercially produced scrumpy from Cornwall.
Type	Cider
Country of origin	West of England
Ingredients	Apples

Scrumpy is a type of cider originating in the West of England,^[1] particularly the West Country. Traditionally, the dialect term "scrumpy" was used to refer to what was otherwise called "rough", a harsh cider made from unselected apples.^[2]

Today the term is more often used to distinguish locally made ciders produced in smaller quantities and using traditional methods, from

In 1997 a legal case on trademark law was fought in Ireland between Symonds and Showerings (Ireland), in which the defendant successfully argued that "scrumpy" was a part of the "commonage" of the language, being a generic term referring to rough dry farmhouse cider.^[8]

Production

Traditional "rough" was invariably fermented out to absolute dryness, with a strong, full bodied character but no distinguishable apple flavour: in 19th century Devon "rough" was much preferred for home consumption, while sweeter, less alcoholic cider was produced for an 'export' market outside the county.^[9] "Rough" was known as the customary drink of farm labourers in the west of England, who would generally receive up to a quart (1.1 litres) daily as an incentive on top of their wages.

Modern scrumpy can be dry or sweet, and is usually still rather than

It is produced by pulping and pressing a quantity of apples, and then adding the juice to a vessel with a special lid to ensure the pressure does not rise too much. It may be necessary to add a Campden tablet to prevent undesirable bacterial action, and the vessel must be sanitized.^[10] The vessels are sealed and left to ferment for a few months.^[10]

Other uses

As well as scrumpy made with apples, there also exists

• 
  A bottle of 6.0%

  Abv

  , organic scrumpy from the USA.
• 
  A gallon of Parson's Choice Somerset scrumpy.

References