Great Oak Cider and Apple Co., Herefordshire, United Kingdom

Brian Jones is a legend in Hereford cider circles. I read about him in Fiona Mac's book, "Ciderlore; Cider in the Three Counties", before having met with him. I knew he was one of a handful of people I would have to meet. When we started this project we sent out letters to over 150 cider makers in Britain, Brian was the only person to respond via post. All the other cider makers sent us email. When I got out to his farm and sat in his cider house with a glass of his finest, I began to understand why. Brian is no older than my dad, who writes emails from time to time, so I knew it wasn't an age thing, there was just something in Brian's character that makes him a classic in that regard, and his cider skills are no different. The day I spent at Brian's he had people lined up to make cider with him, both to learn his craft and also to use his press. What a great symbiotic relationship, young kids from London get a great days drive out to the countryside to make cider with a skilled ciderist like Brian Jones, and Brian gets part of their juice for his own drink later. But it was not just young kids there, another man showed up later with his grandson to make cider, and to pass that knowledge and the appreciation of it, on to the next generation. The whole time, Brian's grandson was running around, helping and playing and drinking some of the fresh juice. It's days like this that make me think cider is not a dying art, but rather a very healthy cultural practice, thriving in the new millinenium.