La Fête Du Cidre

In the cobwebbed half-light of the cider barn a well-tempered mare pulls the wheel around a granite crusher filled to the brim with autumn’s tawny harvest. Once pressed, the liquor extracted, casked or bottled, the cloudy remains are collected and stirred all through the night in a brass bachin over an open fire. More apples are added, with spice and liquorice and the nocturnal watchers sing folk songs in the old language accompanied by fiddle and accordion. They toast this year’s batch of Cider and Black Butter.