Slow maturation

Fermentation temperature is maintained at 18-20 degree Celsius. The cidery has two 2,000-litre and two 4,000-litre fermenters. “Our tanks are not sleek or conical. We have designed the tanks slightly wider than normal to increase the oxygen availability to yeast and reduce incidents of stuck fermentation,” Amar says.

Carbon dioxide produced during fermentation is trapped to optimal pressure as required. Post fermentation, cider is matured and clarified in horizontal stainless-steel tanks at 4 degrees Celsius.

The larger surface area of cider is exposed to oxygen in the tanks accelerating maturation. The cider get rids of unwanted aromas and flavours. This stage also downplays any harsh astringency and acidity and allows the CO2 to dissolve more uniformly in the cider.

Cider is then filtered to chuck out any unwanted particles, yeast and other micro-organisms. This is followed by blending and back-sweeting (sweet apple juice) and bottling. All bottles are then pasteurised and packed in packs of 12 per case. “We have designed the pasteuriser in-house and you might not get to see such assembly in any brewery or cidery in India,” mentions Amar. Pasteurisation mildly strips down the fruit flavours, but it is necessary to enhance shelf life and mitigate the incidents of any accidental fermentation which can lead to pressure build-up inside the bottle.

The final product takes about 25 days to manufacture. The difference between the unfinished and finished product was quite evident – the tank sample of a cider undergoing fermentation was hazy, slightly sweet with yeasty and sulphur notes on the nose and palate.The apple cider on tap had bright golden colour, with mouthful of apple flavours and balanced tannins. It is a balanced product, it is easy drinking, but comes with a note of caution: ‘I am 9% ABV’.

Mangoes too!

The second variant is the cider infused with Alphonso mangoes. “All of us have at least one childhood story relating to mangoes. We all are emotionally connected to this king of fruits,” Amar notes. One cannot but nod in agreement, don’t you?

Mango cider is slightly sweeter but subtle and balanced – the mango flavour does not overwhelm apple in cider. Mango cider production takes a week longer as it involves a secondary fermentation, where fresh mango pulp is infused with finished cider in a pressurized tank.

This allows the mango and apple flavours to remain intact. At this stage, cider undergoes enzyme treatment to remove any mango fibre. If untreated, it will leave mango cider thick and hazy.

The ciders are also supplied in 20-litre kegs on demand. Siqera can bottle up to 300 cases in a single day. The overall packaging is very tastefully done. Both the cider variants are currently available in Gurugram (Haryana) at Rs.200 for a 330-ml pint.

More than 20 bartenders from different outlets in New Delhi gathered for a first- of-its-kind consumer experience. Visitors were treated with unlimited supply of ciders on tap, in-house bakery delicacies and delicious biryani. The chocolate cake with cider-soaked strawberries was the ultimate icing on the cake.What is more, Siqera is currently working on two more exciting cider variants!

The trip was curated by Karina Aggarwal, a social media influencer and beverage consultant. The Siqera cidery has a permit to host tastings and sell premium bottled ciders. If you would like to visit the cidery, write to [email protected].

Rohit Arora