Before our mid-week trip to Bristol, we researched places to eat and drink, and one that stood out for both of us was “The Apple”:http://applecider.co.uk/ – described by Lonely Planet as “a converted barge serving 40 different ciders”. Bearing in mind we’re recent cider converts, we thought it was a must and, on our first afternoon of gentle exploring, we found it more or less by accident.
The barge is moored up alongside Welsh Back, a narrow-cobbled street, but it has a huge terrace with well-spaced picnic benches and tables in front. There was an extensive drinks menu, which concentrated on cider but had other drinks as well.
Under the heading ‘farmhouse draft cider’ was a list of seven ciders ordered from sweet to dry. A pint was £5, and a half £2.50. Roy chose the driest, Taunton Dry, at 4% [the strength ranged from 4% to 6.5%]. Under the fruit cider heading were various flavors including rhubarb, elderflower, pear, orange and pineapple, and mango and lime. I opted for half a pint of rhubarb at £2.75. Mine was delicious and I could have easily drunk a pint and whilst Roy enjoyed his, he said he preferred a slightly fizzier cider.
The service was friendly and there was a young crew of people. Fortunately, the weather was good and although it was quiet on a Monday afternoon, we could imagine it being a very lively place on a pleasant evening.
