#047 The Apple

Mike

If you’ve ever met me, I’m sorry for a start. Moreover, however, you will have some awareness of my love for cider. In many ways it was only natural that I would move to the West Country, home of some of the country’s best.

As the name implies, The Apple Cider Boat sets sail to showcase some of the best ciders around. “This isn’t the nasty, chemically rubbish,” their site proclaims; so put those pseudo-alcopops away and come this way!

Strictly distinct from ‘The Orange’

Filed under ‘pre-blog favourites we are saving for the summer’, The Apple has been an ideal choice with some of our recent weather thanks to a large patio space. Not only that, but the main deck’s marquee-like covering opens up on the waterside, letting a cool breeze through of a balmy summer’s evening.

No one knows where The Apple ends and Bristol begins. But it’s probably here.

Being a boat-borne bar, serving cider in summer, it can become bloody busy (excuse my French; was on an alliteration roll there). Even in winter it packs out and the benches see a lot of use.

Inside, the bar has a lot of character. The lower level is far from dingy, even at dusk, and that’s where you’ll find the surprisingly small bar in the corner. Surprising, because from this they serve around forty ciders, as well as speciality apple and cider based cocktails, and a plethora of plebeian drinks, too.

Is it a tent, is it a bar, is it- ok yeah it’s a bar.

As pictured above, they have screens for all that lovely sports ball our countries have been losing at lately, and the upper deck has a secondary bar they can activate when there’s a rush on.

Anyway, lovely bar chat aside… back to the cider.

The Apple is the proud home of Old Bristolian, a very fine, though very potent, drink of some renown. Besides this flagship, they showcase a smattering of local craft ciders, collected on a weekly ‘cider run’ which sounds like everything I want to be a part of, as well as classics from further afield and even around the world.

But wait, there’s more! The cider doesn’t stop at cider. Even the brandy here is cider, Somerset Cider Brandy to be precise, as well as a handful of other apple-y spirits.

A view from one of my least favourite places to be: further away from The Apple.

Whatever your cider taste, Apple can accommodate. No cider taste? You’ll have one when you leave this place. Actively dislike cider? Come out drinking with me to the Apple and have your mind blown wide open.

Cider.

The Apple Cider Boat (Welsh Back, BS1 4SB) is open weekdays from 5pm until midnight, Saturday from noon until midnight, and Sunday from noon until 10:30pm. http://applecider.co.uk/