12 Things You May Not Know About The Apple

Kings of Bristol cider

Located just off of Kings Street and created from a beautifully converted Dutch barge, The Apple has to be visited if you fancy one of best ciders in Bristol. Although if you’re after a black on black (blackthorn and blackcurrant) you’ll be sorely disappointed. We caught up with Rory Wills of The Apple to discover 13 things you might not know about The Apple.

1. Why did you start The Apple?

There was a bit of a gap in the market for a good cider bar in Bristol back in 2006. This was at the beginning of what turned out to be a big boom in the cider trade. The idea existed before we discovered the boat, and when we saw what a unique venue this could be, we went for it. Needless to say, we have since created quite a unique offering and venue in the cider capital of the world.

2. How many ciders are on tap?

We currently have 8 ciders on tap. We would love to have more, but we don’t have any more space!

3. What was the boat before The Apple?

Before The Apple took the boat on, it used to be a private members club.

4. Why did you open on the river?

We didn’t have much choice as we can’t move the boat! But we thought the riverside setting would prove to be a popular choice with customers. Turns out that we were right!

5. What’s behind the decor?

The decor comes in two forms really. Downstairs, we try to stay true to the maritime theme of our venue, so that when customers go downstairs they are very much aware they are on a Boat. Upstairs and outside is more ‘Agricultural’. We try to use a cider farming/rural theme to remind customers of where we go to get a lot of our ciders from.

6. Drink that you have to try?

Tractor Fuel- our world famous drink. Riches Medium farmhouse cider with a dash of ginger beer and a squeeze of lime. You can’t beat it!

7. Food that you have to try?

Our Ploughman’s lunches are available every day of the week throughout the summer. They’re incredibly popular!

8. Best moment in The Apple’s history?

Winning Best Cider Bar in the UK 2014. That was pretty mad! Fingers crossed that we can win it this year too!

9. Worst moment?

Summer 2012. Possibly the worst summer we’ve ever had. It actually rained every day.

10. Future plans for The Apple?

We’re considering going down the events route, but other than that, we’ll just keep on doing what we’re good at!

11. How many ciders have you sold since you’ve opened?

I really struggle to think of how many ciders we have sold over 9 years…but I know that in April 2015 we sold around 17,000 pints of cider. (That’s not including bottles!) So i’m guessing well over a million pints of cider over the last 9 years or so!

12. Where do you go when The Apple shuts?

King street! There’s some incredible pubs down there now and a great atmosphere. Definitely our new fave.

Fancy some cider then? Get down to The Apple, Welsh Back, Bristol, BS1 4SB.

You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Sam Gillies

Founder and editor of Best of Bristol. Creator of numerous Bristol lists, guides & videos. Most likely found attempting to find interesting street art across Bristol and other cities.