Three things you may not know about cider

• Cider refers only to the drink made with apples. Other fruit drinks have their own names – perry, for instance, is the cider equivalent made with pears.
• Because it was cheaper than beer and apples were so plentiful, cider was part of the daily diet for North American settlers.
• Farm workers used to steal apples and make their own rough cider, called scrumpy.

Two ways to try cider right now

• As a baste for roast pork.
• With shredded cabbage in coleslaw.

Two apples that make the best cider

• Golden russet
• Northern spy

• Go wassailing. Fill a wassail bowl with cider, go outside and ‘toast' the trees to ensure their fertility in the coming year.

Four places to buy the best cider

• Merridale Cider Works, Cobble Hill, B.C.
• The Cider Keg, Vittoria, Ont.
• Cidrerie Fleurs de Pommiers, Dunham, Que.
• Foote Family Farm, Kings County, N.S.

One tip you can't live without

• Most non-commercial cider isn't pasteurized, so keep it refrigerated.