Cider
Cider is an ancient beverage. No-one knows when or where it was first made, because the native distribution of its principal component, the apple, is so widespread, from the Near East to Northwestern Europe. In the cider market, ciders can be broken down into two main styles, standard and specialty. The first group consists of modern ciders and heritage ciders. Modern ciders are produced from culinary apples such as Gala. Heritage ciders are produced from heritage, cider specific, crab or wild apples, like Golden Russet. Historically, cider was made from the only resources available to make it, so style wasn't a large factor when considering the production process. Apples were historically confined to the cooler climates of Western Europe and Britain where civilization was slow to develop record keeping. Cider was first made from crab apples, ancestors of the bittersweet and bittersharp apples used by today's English cider makers.
Cuisine of Devon
Cider, known as 'Cyder' or 'Scrumpy' is the traditional drink of Devon as it was in much of the Westcountry, peasants often paid an allowance of three pints per day. One of the most famous cider producers of the 20th century was Whiteways of Whimple, East Devon. They produced many internationally famous ciders and also some non-alcoholic variants including Cydrax and Peardrax. During Whiteway's heyday they boasted the largest cyder orchards in Britain. There is now a Whiteways museum and heritage centre next to the New Fountain Inn in the village of Whimple. Three Hammers is a brand of strong white cider made in Tiverton by the Devon Cider Company. There are still a large number of cider producers in Devon
Devon has a large number of beer breweries; two well known ones being Otter Brewery (located at Luppitt near Honiton) and Dartmoor Brewery, which, being based in Princetown on Dartmoor, is the highest brewery in England at above sea level. The Heavitree Brewery was a local brewer, located in Heavitree; its history can be traced back to 1790. It was the last brewery in Exeter to cease production, continuing until 1970, the brewery buildings were demolished in 1980. The name continues in use as the owner of a chain of pubs in south west England, and Heavitree Brewery PLC continues as a quoted company with its address in Exeter.