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{{short description|Alcoholic beverage made from pears}}
{{About|the alcoholic beverage}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{globalize|article|UK|date=March 2020}}
[[Image:Perry bottled in Normandy.jpg|thumb|upright|A traditional perry (''poiré'' in French) bottled under cork and cage from [[Normandy]]]]

'''Perry''' or '''pear cider''' is an [[alcoholic beverage]] made from [[fermentation (food)|fermented]] [[pear]]s, traditionally in [[England]] (particularly [[Gloucestershire]], [[Herefordshire]], and [[Worcestershire]]), parts of [[South Wales]], [[France]] (especially [[Normandy]] and [[Duchy of Anjou|Anjou]]), [[Canada]], [[Australia]], and [[New Zealand]].<ref>{{cite web |title=What is Cider & Perry? |url=https://cideruk.com/what-is-cider-and-perry/ |website=cideruk.com |publisher=National Association of Cider Makers |access-date=2025-02-17}}</ref> There is growing interest in artisanal perry production in the fruit-growing regions of the northwest United States. Perry typically has an alcohol content ranging from 5% to 8% [[ABV]],{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=120}} but is sometimes distilled into [[Calvados]] with 40-43% ABV,{{sfn|Wells|2024|pp=217-220}} and blended with further pear juice to produce a fortified drink of around 17% ABV.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=135}}{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=220}}

==Production==
===Fruit===

The pears used to make perry are typically not the large, sweet varieties eaten as fresh fruit. Perry pears tend to be small and relatively {{nowrap|bitter{{hsp}}{{mdash}}{{hsp}}}}the distinction between table pears and perry pears is similar to the distinction between table apples and cider apples. Perry pears are thought to be descended from wild hybrids, known as ''wildings'', between the cultivated pear ''[[Pyrus communis]]'' subsp. ''communis'' and the now-rare wild pear [[Pyrus pyraster|''Pyrus communis'' subsp. ''pyraster'']].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ciderculture.com/ciderologist-speaks-praise-perry/|title=The Ciderologist Speaks: In Praise of Perry|last=Cook|first=Gabe|date=25 September 2017}}</ref> The cultivated pear ''P. communis'' was brought to northern Europe by the Romans. In the fourth century CE [[Saint Jerome]] referred to perry as ''piracium''.{{sfn|Merwin|Valois|Padilla-Zakour|2008}} Wild pear hybrids were, over time, selected locally for desirable qualities, and, by the 1800s, many regional varieties had been identified.<ref name="wsu">{{Cite web|url=http://cider.wsu.edu/perry/|title=Perry {{!}} Washington State University|website=cider.wsu.edu|language=en-US|access-date=2018-04-29}}</ref>
[[File:Perry pears, Nichols Orchard, Dyrham Park (geograph 2630034).jpg|thumb|right|Perry pears growing at [[Dyrham Park]]]]

The majority of perry pear varieties in the UK originate from the counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire in the West Midlands; perry from these counties made from traditional recipes now forms a [[European Union]] [[Protected Geographical Indication]]. Of these perry pear varieties, most originate in parishes around [[May Hill, Gloucestershire|May Hill]] on the Gloucestershire/Herefordshire border.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gloucestershireorchardgroup.org.uk/varieties/pears/|title= Gloucestershire Orchard Group, Pears|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825173832/http://www.gloucestershireorchardgroup.org.uk/varieties/pears |archive-date=25 August 2010|url-status=dead }}</ref> The standard reference work on perry pears was published in 1963 by the [[Long Ashton Research Station]]; since then, many varieties have become critically endangered or lost. Over 100 varieties, known by over 200 local names, were in Gloucestershire alone.<ref name=ppm>{{cite web|url=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/scrumpy/cider/history2.htm|title=Pears and Perry Making in the UK|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218181435/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/scrumpy/cider/history2.htm |archive-date=18 February 2010|access-date=8 December 2009|url-status=dead }}</ref> These local pears are particularly known for their picturesque names, such as the various "Huffcap" varieties ('Hendre Huffcap', 'Red Huffcap', 'Black Huffcap', all having an elliptical shape), those named for the effects of their product ('Merrylegs', 'Mumblehead'), pears commemorating an individual ('[[Stinking Bishop pear|Stinking Bishop]]', named for the man who first grew it, or 'Judge Amphlett', named for [[Assizes (England and Wales)|Assizes]] court judge Richard Amphlett), or those named for the place they grew ('[[Hartpury]] Green', '[[Bosbury]] Scarlet', '[[Bartestree]] Squash'). The perry makers of Normandy grew their own distinctive varieties such as ''Plant de Blanc'', ''Antricotin'' and ''Fausset''; the perry of [[Domfront, Orne|Domfront]], which has been recognised with [[Appellation d'origine contrôlée|AOC]] status since 2002 and PDO status since 2006, must be made with a minimum of 40% ''Plant de Blanc''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://poire-domfront.fr/poire-domfront/|title=Le Poire Domfront|access-date=23 May 2018}}</ref>

Pear [[cultivar]]s used for perry-making tend to be small in size, turbinate or pyriform in shape, and too astringent for culinary use.{{sfn|Postman|2002}}} Specific perry pear cultivars are regularly used to make single-variety perries; this was formerly the usual practice in traditional perry making, meaning that in the past, each parish would have produced its own characteristic and distinctive perries due to the very restricted distribution of many varieties.{{sfn|Luckwill|Pollard|1963|p=27}} Blended perries, made from the juices of several varieties, were traditionally disregarded as they tended to throw a haze, though in modern commercial production, this is overcome with filtration and use of a centrifuge.

Good perry pears should have higher concentrations of [[tannin]]s, acids, and other [[Phenols|phenolic compounds]].<ref name="wsu"/> Some of the pears considered to produce consistently excellent perry include the 'Barland', 'Brandy', 'Thorn,' and 'Yellow Huffcap' cultivars.{{sfn|Postman|2002}} Compared to cider apples, perry pears have fewer volatile components and consequently fewer aromatics in the finished product.{{sfn|Jarvis|1996}} Their tannin profile is very different from that of cider apples, with a predominance of astringent over bitter flavours. They do, however, contain a high concentration of [[Ethyl decadienoate|deca-2,4-dienoate]], a group of esters that affords them their prominent pear aroma.{{sfn|Jarvis|1996}} Another important attribute of perry pears that distinguishes them from cider apples is their relatively higher content ratio of [[sorbitol]] to other sugars, such as [[fructose]]. Because sorbitol is not readily fermented by [[yeast]], it is not converted to [[ethanol]], so perry tends to have more residual sugar than [[cider]] produced from the fermentation of apples.<ref name="npr">{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/06/01/479367453/perry-craft-cider-s-pear-cousin-shines|title=Raise A Glass To Perry, Craft Cider's Pear Cousin|work=NPR.org|access-date=2018-04-29|language=en}}</ref> In addition to producing a sweeter beverage, sorbitol also contributes to increased body and a softer mouthfeel in the finished perry.{{sfn|Jarvis|1996}} Compared to apples, pear pressing is made more difficult by the additional presence of specialized cells known as [[sclereid]]s, which have thick cell walls that provide extra support and strength to the pear tissue.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fluoview.magnet.fsu.edu/gallery/plants/pearfruitsclereids.html|title=Olympus FluoView Resource Center: Confocal Gallery - Pear Fruit Sclereids|website=fluoview.magnet.fsu.edu|access-date=2018-04-29|archive-date=18 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518055934/http://fluoview.magnet.fsu.edu/gallery/plants/pearfruitsclereids.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Because of this inherent perry pear attribute, the addition of enzymes and pressing aids is a commonly used practice for improving perry production.{{sfn|Merwin|Valois|Padilla-Zakour|2008}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Categories of perry pears{{sfn|Lombard|Williams|1974|p=423}}{{sfn|Postman|2002|pp=251-272}}
|-
! Type !! Acidity % !! Tannin % !! Cultivars
|-
| Sweet || <0.3 || < 0.1 || Barnet, Red Pear
|-
| Medium Bittersharp || 0.3 - 0.45 || 0.1 - 0.2 || 'Blakeney Red', 'Gin'
|-
| Bittersharp || > 0.45|| < 0.2 || 'Butt', 'Barland'
|-
| Medium sharp || 0.3 - 0.45 || < 0.1 || 'Brandy', 'Hendre Huffcap'
|-
| Sharp || > 0.45 || < 0.1 || 'Yellow Huffcap'
|}

===Orchard management and harvesting===
[[File:Perry_Pear_Orchard,_Wick_Court_(geograph_2567501).jpg|thumb|right|Mature perry pear orchard at Wick Court, near [[Arlingham]]: As usual in traditional perry orchards, the trees are of extremely large size.]]

While cultivation of pears has been to some extent modernised, they remain a difficult crop to grow. Perry pear trees can live to a great age, and can be fully productive for 250 years. Pear trees, both domestic and perry varieties, grow incredibly slowly, taking up to, if not over, a decade before they bear enough fruit for harvest.<ref name="npr" /> They also grow to a considerable height and can have very large canopies; [[Holme Lacy Pear|the largest recorded]], a tree at [[Holme Lacy]], which still partly survives, covered three-quarters of an acre and yielded a crop of 5–7 tons in 1790.<ref name="tcppp">{{cite web|author-last=Oliver|author-first=T.|url=http://www.theolivers.org.uk/SFPP_Protocol.pdf|title=The Three Counties & Welsh Marches Perry Presidium Protocol|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721235337/http://www.theolivers.org.uk/SFPP_Protocol.pdf|archive-date=21 July 2011|url-status=dead }}</ref> Given the long maturing period of pear trees, they can be difficult to manage against diseases. Their size makes it difficult to apply pesticides, which makes preventing [[fire blight]], a disease caused by the bacterium ''Erwinia amylovora'' that pears are even more susceptible to than cider apples, quite challenging.{{sfn|Merwin|Valois|Padilla-Zakour|2008}} These difficulties, along with demand for perry pears having (until recently) taken a decline, have prompted a national collection of perry pear cultivars to be gathered, housed, and cared for at the Three Counties Agricultural Showground at Malvern in Worcestershire, to maintain genetic resources,{{sfn|Jarvis|1996}} which has now become the [[National Perry Pear Centre]] at Hartpury.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalperrypearcentre.org.uk/|title=National Perry Pear Centre - Conserving a part of our orchard heritage|website=National Perry Pear Centre|language=en|access-date=2018-05-14}}</ref> Similar germplasm repositories can be found at the [[National Clonal Germplasm Repository]] in Corvallis, Oregon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ars.usda.gov/pacific-west-area/corvallis-or/national-clonal-germplasm-repository/docs/ncgr-corvallis-distribution-policies/|title=NCGR Corvallis Distribution Policies : USDA ARS|website=www.ars.usda.gov|access-date=2018-05-14}}</ref>

Also, key differences between cider and perry production exist in the harvesting and growing processes. Perry trees famously take more time to mature than cider trees. While cider trees may come to bear fruit in three to five years, traditionally managed perry trees typically take much longer, so much so that people say that one plants "pears for your heirs".{{sfn|Ripe|2009}}

Even when fully grown, pear trees bear less fruit than apples, which is one reason that perry is less common than cider.<ref name="robinson">{{Cite web|url=http://shaponline.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Robinson-Pear-talk12.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517223459/http://shaponline.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Robinson-Pear-talk12.pdf |archive-date=2018-05-17 |url-status=live|title=High Density Pears: Profitable Not Just for You and your Heirs|last=Robinson|first=Terrence|website=shaponline.org|access-date=14 May 2018}}</ref> When time to harvest comes, pears should be picked before they are ripe and then left to ripen indoors, while apples should be allowed to ripen on the tree.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://extension.wsu.edu/benton-franklin/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/Harvesting-Apples-and-Pears.pdf?x56665|title=Harvesting Apples and Pears|last=Hiller|first=Val|date=November 1997|website=wsu.edu|access-date=14 May 2018}}</ref> Both apples and pears suffer from [[fire blight]], which can devastate entire orchards, but pears are also susceptible to pear psylla (also known as ''[[Psylla pyri]]'').<ref name="robinson" /> These insects kill the entire pear tree and are very resistant to insecticides, making them a severe problem for pear orchards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://jenny.tfrec.wsu.edu/opm/displaySpecies.php?pn=120|title=Pear psylla|website=jenny.tfrec.wsu.edu|access-date=2018-05-15|archive-date=2 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180602003659/http://jenny.tfrec.wsu.edu/opm/displaySpecies.php?pn=120|url-status=dead}}</ref> Another added complication is that while apples are often harvested mechanically, pears must be harvested by hand, greatly increasing the time and cost of harvesting.{{sfn|Verma|2014|pp=249-255}}

===Perry-making technique===
[[File:Cider-quern.jpg|thumb|right|Quern for making perry and cider at [[Hellens]], Herefordshire, where a large orchard was planted to commemorate the coronation of [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Queen Anne]] - avenues of perry pears from it still survive. The varieties 'Hellens Early' and 'Hellens Green' were named after the house.]]
Traditional perry making is broadly similar to traditional cider making, in that the fruit is picked, crushed, and pressed to extract the juice, which is then fermented using the wild yeasts found on the fruit's skin. Traditional perry making employed [[Quern-stone|querns]] and a rack and cloth [[Fruit press|press]], in which the pulp is wrapped in cloth before being squeezed with a press.{{sfn|McKay|Buglass|Lee|2011|pp=240-241}} Modern perry production can use a [[belt filter|belt press]], which is much more efficient for pressing fruit.{{sfn|McKay|Buglass|Lee|2011|pp=240-241}} It works by sending the fruit down a conveyor belt, on which it is then pressed by rollers.{{sfn|McKay|Buglass|Lee|2011|pp=240-241}} The principal differences between perry and cider production are that pears must be left for a period to mature after picking, and the [[pomace]] must be left to stand after initial crushing to lose [[tannin]]s, a process analogous to wine [[Maceration (wine)|maceration]].<ref>{{cite web|author-last=Grafton|author-first=G.|url=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/scrumpy/cider/perry.htm|title=Perry Making|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207121437/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/scrumpy/cider/perry.htm |archive-date=7 February 2007|access-date=8 December 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Additionally, because of the variation in hardness of the fruit, determining if a pear is ready for pressing than an apple can be more difficult.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ciderworkshop.com/perry.html|title=The Cider Workshop {{!}} Production {{!}} What's different about perry?|website=www.ciderworkshop.com|access-date=2018-05-14}}</ref> Also, key chemical compositional differences occur between apples and pears; these factors play a crucial role in prefermentation and fermentation decisions for perry production.
[[File:BeltPress.svg|thumb|A diagram of a belt press]]

Compared to most apples, pears tend to have more sugar and total phenolic compounds. The main sugars in perry pears are [[glucose]] (192 –284&nbsp;mg/L), [[xylose]] (140–176&nbsp;mg/g), and [[galacturonic acid]] (108–118&nbsp;mg/g). Types of sugar that are present in the juice play an important role in yeast activity and determine the success of fermentation. Unlike the juice of apples, pear juice contains significant quantities of unfermentable sugar alcohols, particularly sorbitol.{{sfn|McKay|Buglass|Lee|2011|pp=231–265}} The presence of sorbitol can give perry a residual sweetness, in addition to a mild laxative effect.{{sfn|Jolicoeur|2013|p=155}}
Pear juices contain rather low levels of amino acids, sources of nitrogen such as aspargine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid.{{sfn|McKay|Buglass|Lee|2011|pp=237}}

After initial fermentation, many perries go through [[malolactic fermentation]]. On average, compared to apples, pears have higher levels of titrable acidity, most of it being citric acid. In environments with high levels of malic acid, such as grape must in winemaking, malolactic fermentation bacteria convert malic acid to lactic acid, reducing the perception of acidity and increasing complexity of flavour. However, if high levels of citric acid are present, as in pear pomace, malolactic fermentation bacteria catabolise citric acid to acetic acid and oxaloacetic acid, instead of lactic acid.{{sfn|Yoshimi|Uehara|Watanabe|1985}} This results in a floral, citrus-like aroma in the final product, lacking the diacethyl odour typical for most products that have undergone a malolactic fermentation.

==History==
The earliest known reference to fermented alcoholic drinks being made from pears is found in [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]].{{sfn|Pliny, the Elder|1960}} Perry making seems to have become well established in what is today France following the collapse of the Roman empire; references to perry making in England do not appear before the [[Norman Conquest]]. In the medieval period, France retained its association with pear growing, and the majority of pears consumed in England were in fact imported from France.<ref name="ppm"/>

By the 16th and 17th centuries, however, perry making had become well established in the west of England, where the climate and soil were especially suitable for pear cultivation. In the three counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Herefordshire in particular, as well as in [[Monmouthshire]] across the Welsh border, perry pears grew well in conditions where [[cider apple]] trees would not. Smaller amounts were also produced in other cider-producing areas, such as [[Somerset]]. Perry may have grown in popularity after the [[English Civil War]], when the large numbers of soldiers billeted in the Three Counties became acquainted with it,{{sfn|Wilson|1993}} and reached a zenith of popularity during the 18th century, when intermittent conflicts with France made the importing of wine difficult.<ref name=rhs>{{cite magazine|author-last=Ardle|author-first=Jon|url=http://www.rhs.org.uk/RHSWebsite/files/7f/7f2b102c-f4a6-4c27-bfbb-b3b7d235bff1.pdf|title=Keeping It Real|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117190921/http://www.rhs.org.uk/RHSWebsite/files/7f/7f2b102c-f4a6-4c27-bfbb-b3b7d235bff1.pdf |archive-date=17 January 2010|publisher=Royal Horticultural Society|magazine=Garden|date=September 2009|pages=592–595}}</ref> Many farms and estates had their own orchards, and many varieties of pears developed that were unique to particular parishes or villages.

Whereas perry in England remained an overwhelmingly [[Dryness (taste)|dry]], still drink served from the cask, perry made in [[Normandy]] (''poiré'') developed a bottle-fermented, sparkling style with a good deal of sweetness.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.welshcider.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=96&Itemid=105|author-last=Matthews|author-first=Dave|title=Normandy, World Perry Capital|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721235433/http://www.welshcider.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=96&Itemid=105 |archive-date=21 July 2011|publisher=Welsh Perry & Cider Society|access-date=8 December 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Modern commercial perries===
The production of traditional perry began to decline during the 20th century, in part due to changing farming practices– perry pears could be difficult and labour-intensive to crop, and orchards took many years to mature. The industry was, however, to a certain degree revived by modern commercial perry-making techniques, developed by [[Francis Showering]] of the firm Showerings of [[Shepton Mallet]], Somerset, in the creation of their sparkling branded perry [[Babycham]].<ref name="ppm"/> Babycham, the first mass-produced branded perry, was developed by Showering from application of the Long Ashton Institute's research, and was formerly produced from authentic perry pears, though today it is produced from third party produced concentrate, the firm's pear orchards having now been dug up.<ref name="tcppp"/> Aimed at the female drinker at a time when wine was not commonly available in UK [[pub]]s, Babycham was sold in miniature Champagne-style bottles; the drink was for many years a strong seller and made a fortune for the Showering family.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/propertyadvice/propertymarket/3334960/Prancing-to-the-tune-of-Babycham.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140131072508/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/propertyadvice/propertymarket/3334960/Prancing-to-the-tune-of-Babycham.html|author-last=Middleton|author-first=Christopher|date= 18 September 2004|title=Prancing to the tune of Babycham|work=[[Daily Telegraph]]|archive-date=31 Jan 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> A competing brand of commercial perry, [[Lambrini]], was manufactured for many years in [[Liverpool]] by [[Halewood International]] and is now owned and produced since 2021 by [[Accolade Wines]]. The [[Ireland|Irish]] drinks company [[Cantrell and Cochrane]], Plc, more famous for its [[Bulmers (Republic of Ireland)|Magners and Bulmers]] ciders, launched a similar light perry, Ritz, in 1986.

Like much commercial [[lager]] and commercial cider, commercial perry is highly standardised, and today often contains large quantities of cereal [[adjunct (beer)|adjunct]]s such as [[corn syrup]] or [[invert sugar]].{{citation needed|date=November 2012}} It is also generally of lower strength, and sweeter, than traditional perry, and is artificially carbonated to give a sparkling finish.{{citation needed|date=November 2012}} Unlike traditional perry, its manufacture guarantees a consistent product; the nature of perry pears means producing traditional perry in commercial quantities is very difficult. Traditional perry was overwhelmingly a drink made on farms for home consumption, or to sell in small quantities either at the farm gate or to local inns.

===Decline and revival of traditional perry===
Both English perry making and the orchards that supplied it suffered a catastrophic decline in the second half of the 20th century as a result of changing tastes and agricultural practices (in South Gloucestershire alone, an estimated 90% of orchards were lost in the last 75 years).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southglos.gov.uk/NR/exeres/F0121B68-C8C5-4001-B521-E55500F2A957|title=South Gloucestershire Council – Orchards|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304145442/http://www.southglos.gov.uk/NR/exeres/F0121B68-C8C5-4001-B521-E55500F2A957 |archive-date=4 March 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> Many pear orchards were also lost to fire blight in the 1970s and 1980s. Along with the clearing of orchards, the decline of day labouring on farms meant that the manpower that was once devoted to harvest perry pears – as well as its traditional consumers – disappeared. It also lost popularity due to makers turning to dessert or general-purpose pears in its manufacture rather than perry pears, resulting in a thin and tasteless product.<ref name="ppm"/> In the UK, before 2007, the small amounts of traditional perry still produced were mainly consumed by people living in farming communities.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

However, perry (often marketed under the name "pear cider", see below) has increased in popularity in very recent times{{when|date=November 2021}}, with around 2.5&nbsp;million British consumers purchasing it in one year.<ref name=BBC>{{cite web |author-last=Schocker|author-first=Laura|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8225493.stm |title=From perry to pear cider |website=BBC News magazine |date=28 August 2009}}</ref> In addition, various organisations have been actively seeking out old perry pear trees and orchards and rediscovering lost varieties, many of which now exist only as single trees on isolated farms. For example, the Welsh Cider Society rediscovered the old Monmouthshire varieties 'Burgundy' and the 'Potato Pear', as well as a number of further types unrecorded up to that point.<ref>{{cite web|author-last=Matthews|author-first=Dave|url=http://www.welshcider.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3&Itemid=4|title=Welsh Cider Society|access-date=8 December 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100101042243/http://www.welshcider.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3&Itemid=4 |archive-date=1 January 2010 }}</ref>

==Naming controversy==
'''Pear cider''' has been adopted by some in preference to ''perry'' as a name for alcoholic drinks containing pear juice.<ref name=morningadvertiser>{{cite web| url=https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2008/04/24/Pear-perception/ | date=23 April 2008 | author-last=Huddleston|author-first=Nigel | access-date=8 September 2025 |title=Pear Perception | publisher=Morning Advertiser}}</ref> The term has been dated to 1995, when [[Brothers Cider]] found that nobody at [[Glastonbury Festival]] understood what perry was; they began telling customers that it was 'like cider, but made from pears'.<ref name=BBC/>

In the UK the new name has caused controversy. The [[Campaign for Real Ale]] (CAMRA) defines perry and pear cider as different drinks, stating that 'pear cider' as made by the large industrial cidermakers is a pear-flavoured drink, or more specifically a cider-style drink flavoured with pear concentrate, whereas 'perry' should be made by traditional methods from perry pears only.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.camra.org.uk/ciderfaq|title=FAQs|publisher=CAMRA|access-date=25 July 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921143143/http://www.camra.org.uk/ciderfaq|archive-date=21 September 2013}}</ref> The National Association of Cider Makers maintain that the terms perry and pear cider are interchangeable, and its rules specify that perry or pear cider may contain no more than 25% apple juice.<ref name="nacm">{{cite news|title=Pear cider ruling gives perry a timely boost|work=[[The Grocer]]|date=19 May 2007|url=https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/pear-cider-ruling-gives-perry-a-timely-boost-/119462.article|access-date=8 September 2025}}</ref><ref name="morningadvertiser" /><ref name="nacm2">{{Cite web |url=http://www.cideruk.com/cider_market/code_of_practice |title=NACM Code of Practice |access-date=9 December 2009 |archive-date=6 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406040257/http://cideruk.com/cider_market/code_of_practice |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Perry around the world==

===Australia===

In 1803 [[Philip Gidley King]], the third [[Governor]] of Australia, ordered apple and pear trees for cider and perry production, but they never arrived.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=277}} Today, perry production is mainly from culinary pear varieties, spearheaded by Cider Australia, an industry association.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=277}} There are some efforts to cultivate perry pear varieties, but as of 2024 these are still in the early stages.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=278}} Pears are mainly grown in the [[Goulburn Valley]] in Victoria, but there are producers in Tasmania, Orange, and South Australia.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=278}} The most commonly available perry is ''[[Somersby (cider)|Somersby's]] Pear Cider''.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=277}}

===Austria===

The [[Mostviertel]] region is the only place in the world that makes more perry than cider.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=229}} Known locally as ''most'' or ''birnenmost'', perry has a long tradition going back to at least the 13th century.{{sfn|Wells|2024|pp=229-231}} In the 18th century, Empress [[Maria Theresa]] ordered the planting of perry pear trees along all municipal roads in Mostviertel, and her son [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph II]] awarded medals to anyone who planted over 100 trees.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=231}} The advent of rail transport provided a huge boost to demand, and perry brought great prosperity to the region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=232}} In 1938 it was estimated that there were more than a million pear trees in the [[Amstetten district]].{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=232}} With the fall of the [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]], mechanised agriculture led to a decline of ''most'' in favour of corn, and many pear trees were removed.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=232}} A revival of the perry tradition was started in the 1990s, and led to the creation of a producer association known as the ''Mostbarons''.{{sfn|Wells|2024|pp=232-235}}

Pear trees are planted along boundary lines separating farms, and there are currently an estimated 150,000 to 300,000 perry pear trees in the region.{{sfn|Wells|2024|pp=229-231}} These trees are often very old, with many dating from the heyday of perry production being over 150 years old.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=232}} Varieties include 'Speckbirne', 'Stieglbirne', 'Dorschbirne' and 'Grüne Pichelbirne', the latter being particularly prized for its late-ripening and ability to clear other perry that had gone cloudy.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=236}}

Austrian perry is generally paler than those from France or the UK, and is far more likely to be bottled.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=233}} More recent innovations include the production of ice perry and ''mostello'', a fortified perry.{{sfn|Wells|2024|pp=237-240}}

===France===

French perry, known as ''poiré'', is often sparkling and produced in 750ml wine bottles, ''champagne'' style.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=204}} Production is most concentrated around [[Domfront,_Orne|Domfront]], where the Domfrontais perry is protected by an [[Appellation d'origine contrôlée]] (AOC), but perry can also be found elsewhere in Normandy, in Brittany and in the Loire Valley.{{sfn|Wells|2024|p=205}} Much of the perry is dominated by a single pear variety - 'Plant de Blanc' - and this is emphasised in the AOC.{{sfn|Wells|2024|pp=204-216}}

''[[Calvados]] Domfrontais'' is a pear brandy, distilled from ''poiré'' in the Domfront area, and is covered by its own AOC.{{sfn|Wells|2024|pp=217-218}} Some is further blended with pear juice to make a fortified pear drink similar to the apple-based ''pommeau'', although this drink does not have a specific name.{{sfn|Wells|2024|pp=220-221}}



==See also==
*[[Cider]], a fermented drink made from apples
*[[Plum jerkum]], a similar plum cider from Worcestershire
*''[[Umeshu]]'', a Japanese plum liqueur
*[[Framboise]], a fruit beer made with raspberries
*[[Poire Williams]], a fruit brandy produced by distilling perry

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book|last=Jarvis|first=B.|editor1-last=Arthey|editor1-first=D.|editor2-last=Ashurst|editor2-first=P.R.|title=Fruit Processing|date=1996|publisher=Springer, Boston, MA|isbn=9781461358756|pages=97–134|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-1-4615-2103-7_5|chapter = Cider, perry, fruit wines and other alcoholic fruit beverages}}
* {{cite book |last=Jolicoeur|first=Claude|title=The New Cider Maker's Handbook|year=2013|isbn=978-1-60358-473-9|publisher=Chelsea Green }}
* {{cite journal|author1-last=Lombard|author1-first=P.B.|author2-last=Williams|author2-first=R.R.|title=The Hard Side of Cider|journal=HortScience|volume=9|number=5|year=1974|pages=420–424|doi=10.21273/HORTSCI.9.5.420|url=https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/hortsci/9/5/article-p420.xml|doi-access=free}}
* {{cite book|author1-last=Luckwill|author1-first=L.C.|author2-last=Pollard|author2-first=A.|title=Perry Pears|publisher=National Fruit and Cider Institute|location=Bristol|year=1963|oclc=498928038}}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Martin|editor-first=Scott C.|title=The SAGE Encyclopedia of Alcohol: Social, Cultural, and Historical Perspectives|chapter=Perry|pages=949–950|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781483325255/page/n451/mode/2up|publisher=SAGE Publications|year=2015|edition=1st|volume=2|isbn=9781483325255}}
* {{cite book|author1-last=McKay|author1-first=Marianne|author2-last=Buglass|author2-first=Alan J.|author3-last=Lee|author3-first=Chang Gook|editor-last=Buglass|editor-first=Alan J.|title=Handbook of Alcoholic Beverages: Technical, Analytical and Nutritional Aspects|chapter=2.8 Cider and Perry|pages=231–265|year=2011|isbn=978-0-470-51202-9|publisher=John Wiley & Sons}}
* {{cite book|last1=Merwin|first1=Ian A.|last2=Valois|first2=Sarah|last3=Padilla-Zakour|first3=Olga I. |title=Horticultural Reviews |chapter=Cider Apples and Cider-Making Techniques in Europe and North America |year=2008|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Inc.|isbn=9780470380147|location=Hoboken, NJ, USA|volume=34|pages=365–415|editor-last=Janick|editor-first=Jules|language=en|doi=10.1002/9780470380147.ch6}}
* {{cite book|author=Pliny, the Elder|translator-last=Rackham|translator-first=H.|title=Natural History|volume=4|chapter=Book XV, section XVI|pages=325–329|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/naturalhistory04plinuoft/page/324/mode/2up|year=1960|lang=la,en|oclc=848500435}}
* {{cite journal|last=Postman|first=Joseph D.|title=Register of New Fruit and Nut Varieties: Pear - European|journal=HortScience|editor-last=Okie|editor-first=W.R.|volume=37|number=2|year=2002|pages=260–262|doi=10.21273/HORTSCI.37.2.251|url=https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/hortsci/37/2/article-p251.xml|doi-access=free}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Ripe|first=Cherry|date=2009|title=Perry|jstor=10.1525/gfc.2009.9.4.58|journal=Gastronomica|volume=9|issue=4|pages=58–61|issn=1529-3262|doi=10.1525/gfc.2009.9.4.58|url=http://gcfs.ucpress.edu/content/9/4/58.full.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721004648/http://gcfs.ucpress.edu/content/9/4/58.full.pdf |archive-date=2018-07-21 |url-status=dead}}
* {{cite book|last=Verma|first=M. K.|title=Pear Production Technology|year=2014|isbn=9789383168095}}
* {{cite book|last=Wells|first=Adam|title=Perry:A Drinker's Guide|year=2024|publisher=[[Campaign for Real Ale]]|isbn=9781852493882|oclc=1414370384}}
* {{cite book|author-last=Wilson|author-first=C. Anne|title=Liquid Nourishment: Potable foods and stimulating drinks|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|year=1993|isbn=0748604243|oclc=
    29221947 |lccn=94112933}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Yoshimi|first1=Shimazu|last2=Uehara|first2=Mikio|last3=Watanabe|first3=Masazumi|title=Transformation of Citric Acid to Acetic Acid, Acetoin and Diacetyl by Wine Making Lactic Acid Bacteria|journal=Agricultural and Biological Chemistry|volume=49|issue=7|pages=2147–2157|doi=10.1080/00021369.1985.10867041|year=1985}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Pear cider}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140408094654/http://ukcider.co.uk/wiki/index.php/Cider_and_Perry_producers_-_full_list_arranged_by_county  Apple Cider and Perry Producers in UK]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061001014506/http://www.ukcider.co.uk/wiki/index.php/Perry Real Perry] on the ukcider Wiki
*[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12206988 Out of the Pear Orchard and Into the Glass] from [[National Public Radio]]
*[http://www.zider.co.uk/index.php Overview of making perry at home] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226062423/http://www.zider.co.uk/index.php |date=26 February 2021 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040608143735/http://www.thethreecountiesciderandperryassociation.co.uk/index.htm The Three Counties Cider and Perry Association]
*[http://www.theolivers.org.uk/HolmeLacyPerryPear.htm The Holme Lacy Perry Pear]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222134715/http://www.theolivers.org.uk/HolmeLacyPerryPear.htm |date=22 February 2014 }}, that in 1790 was recorded as producing 5–7 tons of fruit.

{{Pyrus}}
{{French cuisine}}
{{Alcoholic beverages}}

[[Category:British alcoholic beverages]]
[[Category:British products with protected designation of origin]]
[[Category:English alcoholic beverages]]
[[Category:Fermented drinks]]
[[Category:French alcoholic beverages]]
[[Category:Fruit wines]]
[[Category:Pears]]
[[Category:Welsh alcoholic beverages]]