The production of cider is a simple, traditional process, based on natural ingredients. A lot of time, care and labour are put into the making of cider, from the time the apples are harvested, to achieving the end product. Similar in ways to the wine production process, the following is a step-by-step guide to the making of cider.
The majority of apples are selected during the harvest at the 250 acre Magners Orchards in Clonmel and from the Apple Growers in Northern Ireland. After the fruit is weighed and checked for type and quality, it passes through a water bath. The apples are pushed along canals by streams of water to the presses where they are reduced to a pulp and the juices are extracted by pressing.
The pressing is done using the traditional 'cheese' which consists of slatted frames woven with envelopes of pulp. Building a 'cheese' is one of the core skills of a cider-maker. At Magners, the very same presses used to make Magners 50 years ago are still used today. This accounts for the consistency of the quality of Ireland's most popular cider.