Sussex
Ascension Cider
Sussex
Ascension Cider Co is owned and run by Matt Billing, a third- generation Hot Air Balloon pilot with a passion for cider.
From our beginnings cuckoo brewing our first batch in 2017, we are now based in an old apple store, on an Orchard in East Sussex, where over 20 varieties of apple are grown, meaning we are never short of ingredients and inspiration.
Our three 7,000 litre tanks are filled and emptied throughout the year with a variety of apples. We utilise apples that have been dismissed by supermarkets for not being pretty enough. We’re not that shallow.
Due to the varieties of our apples changing, so does the taste of our cider. We don’t use any extra sugars or acids to adjust what nature gives us, we roll with it. Due to us not tinkering with what the fruit gives us, our ciders may change in taste from blend to blend. We do not see this as an issue, but as a wonderful reflection of each season. Of course, we will always make sure that the cider is darned delicious.
Our cider is fermented with only the wild yeasts brought from the orchards by the apples. This also allows the cider to take on different flavours and notes as it matures.
We love the alchemy that cider making brings, and love to experiment, be it infusing different fruits or herbs, steeping spices, or using different strains of yeasts and bacteria. We’re always trialling new methods, infusions and techniques.
Due to the varieties of our apples changing, so does the taste of our cider. We don’t use any extra sugars or acids to adjust what nature gives us, we roll with it. Due to us not tinkering with what the fruit gives us, our ciders may change in taste from blend to blend. We do not see this as an issue, but as a wonderful reflection of each season. Of course, we will always make sure that the cider is darned delicious.
Our cider is fermented with only the wild yeasts brought from the orchards by the apples. This also allows the cider to take on different flavours and notes as it matures.
We love the alchemy that cider making brings, and love to experiment, be it infusing different fruits or herbs, steeping spices, or using different strains of yeasts and bacteria. We’re always trialling new methods, infusions and techniques.