There are no two ways about it. Foxes are fascinating creatures. It’s little wonder that they feature in many folk tales around the world.
Ancient Norsemen looked to the skies and imagined foxes kicking up sparks that lit up their land, making ‘lightning without thunder’. They called it Revontulet or ‘fox fires’. Today we know it as the Northern Lights. Halfway across the world, the Japanese saw the fox as wise, guardian spirits. In fact, you’ll see them at the iconic Buddhist and Shinto ‘Inari’ shrines associated with prosperity.
In Western culture, the fox is seen as a cunning creature of the night. Known for raiding livestock and outwitting farmers, you’ll find the fables aren’t kind to our furry friend. But scientists have redeemed their reputation. They learned that that foxes use the earth’s magnetic field to find their way around. They are some of the most well-travelled animals on the planet with an easy cruising speed of 50 kmph.
Long story short, there has always been a little bit of magic to the fox. They are charming, well-travelled, and very good at seeking out what they like. In fact, they have a nose for the best apples in the orchard. So when it came to choosing a face for our beloved alcoholic small batch craft cider, the choice was easy. No one loves good apples more than a Thirsty Fox.
Roman soldiers travelled thousands of miles to extend the boundaries of the Holy Empire. They arrived tired and thirsty in foreign lands and watched the locals’ strange habits with amusement.
In what’s now Great Britain, Italian centurions discovered the local Celts drinking fermented crab-apple juice. Miles from home in, a cold, far-flung corner of the empire, the invaders took a liking to the apple tipple. Conquering continents is thirsty work after all. So much did they enjoy this exotic drink that casks of cider were sent back to Rome. And that’s how cider made its debut on the global stage two millennia ago.
Since then it’s been transported from one place to another as groups travelled to conquer and trade. Long traditions of cider-making exist across Europe and in North America. In each place the business of growing and harvesting the apples differs slightly to suit local conditions and tastes. European farmers preferred grafting their apple trees for a more predictable crop. This meant that apples became more uniform with a standard taste. Americans, on the other hand, let Nature take its course and ended up with more variety.
Thirsty Fox has taken its inspiration from the American style. We search for the finest apples, handle them with care and wait patiently while they ferment. We call it ‘The Art of Nature’. It’s a time-honoured tradition handed down for centuries.
Let’s raise a glass to the conquerors and the curious.
