Cider Planet: Exploring the Producers, Practices, and Unique Traditions of Craft Cider and Perry from Around the World

Winner of the Guild of Food Writers Award 2023: Drinks Category

Longlisted for the André Simon Award for Drink Books for 2022

“[Jolicoeur] has brought his sharp intellect and endless curiosity to a new project. . . [Cider Planet is] well-referenced and utterly fascinating.”—CIDERCRAFT Magazine

From internationally-acclaimed author and fermented beverage expert Claude Jolicoeur comes a globe-trotting, full-color cultural history and guide celebrating the methods, terroir, and traditions of world-class cider.

In Cider Planet, Claude Jolicoeur—a longtime, passionate cider maker and author of the international bestseller New Cider Maker’s Handbook—takes readers with him to the world’s greatest cider regions, providing an expertly guided tour laced with his deep understanding and appreciation for how this “Prince of Beverages” is made.

Inside Cider Planet you’ll find:
• Descriptions of global orchard practices
• Specific apple varieties used in different countries and regions
• Detailed histories of the world’s oldest ciderlands
• Profiles of different cider styles and rituals
• Tips and tricks from some of the most knowledgeable cider producers

Cider, long perceived as a European country drink, is now truly a worldwide culinary delight. Jolicoeur talks about new and emergent regions that have contributed to this growing appreciation, and how they are building upon the old traditions while creating their own new ones. He explores, for example, the most revered areas for making perry, a delightful but little-known drink that, like cider, is starting to gain fans young and old. And he even transports readers to Kazakhstan in central Asia, famous as the “birthplace of the domestic apple.”

Real cider, craft cider, farm cider, artisan cider: Whatever you wish to call it, at its best, cider should be enjoyed like a fine wine, with all of the sophistication but less of the pretentiousness. Just as there are many volumes devoted to the great wine regions of the world, we now need a “cider appreciation” manual to fully understand and delve into the rich culture of cider and perry. Cider Planet is that book, and Claude Jolicoeur is our experienced and enthusiastic guide. For the traveler or foodie, this book transports the reader around the world with wonderful stories and insight that will leave you thirsty for a fresh glass of fermented fruit.

Claude Jolicoeur is the author of The New Cider Maker’s Handbook, which has been acclaimed worldwide as a major reference on the topic of cider making. In French, he has authored Du pommier au cidre (From Apple Tree to Cider) and collaborated to the collective work La transformation du cidre au Québec (Cider Processing in Quebec).

A mechanical engineer and research scientist by profession, he started in the late 1980s making cider as a hobby. Since then, he has accumulated vast experience, always searching to obtain the highest quality possible. His ciders have earned many awards at competitions, including Best of Show at the prestigious Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP).

Claude has traveled widely throughout the Cider Planet, is regularly invited to be a guest speaker or cider judge at international cider festivals and events, and actively participates in discussion forums such as the Cider Workshop. He currently works on the evaluation of wild native apples for the establishment of collections of high-quality cider apple varieties that are well adapted to the conditions of eastern Canada. He lives in Quebec City.