Every can of Apple Pie Soda is crafted with love and juice from a blend of incredible apple varieties, handpicked from the Rodger family’s orchard. From the very first taste of their juice, we knew it was a match for what we wanted to create - rich, thick but balanced with a crisp bite.
Susan and Ian changed up their blend this year to include some exciting varieties we hadn’t even heard of before:
White Melrose (More info below)
Grenadier (a traditional culinary apple dating back to 1862)
Bloody Poughman (another old Scottish variety, from 1883)
Spartan // Dessert Apple
Egremont Russet // Dessert Apple
White Melrose was originally planted by French Monks at Melrose Abbey, and first recorded in 1831. It is a Scottish heritage variety. The pale colour of the apples makes them stand out clearly against the dark green tree foliage. A “mother” tree still stands at Melrose Abbey today. It has a sweet, sharp flavour and was widely grown in the Borders and Tweed Valley in the 19th century.
The Grenadier variety was first recorded in Kent in 1860. An early ‘cooking apple’, it is known for it’s yellowish green skin and bright flavour. ‘Bloody Ploughman’ is known for it’s dark sanguine colour and crisp, juicy juice perfect for cider making. Spartan, again known for it’s red colour but mellow taste, almost reminiscent of melon or strawberry! Egremont Russet is an old dessert apple variety, first recorded in Somerset in 1872. It has a characteristic nutty flavour.
Each apple and each of their histories brings its own personality to the mix, creating a rich, juicy base that perfectly complements our signature spice blend. But this isn’t your average, sugary apple soda. We’ve dialled back the sweetness and cranked up the raw flavour for a more natural, nuanced sip.
Ian and Susan Rodger are apple-growing legends and we’ll shout loud and proud about that - their orchard really is something special. They were the perfect match to meet our raw flavour straight from the fruit ethos, and compliment our evangelical approach with all we create and produce. Susan sums it up perfectly:
“The orchard was planted in 2011, with a focus on Scottish heritage apples. We grow around 35 varieties, and none of our trees are sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, or hormones. The apples are simply allowed to do their own thing.”
In other words: these apples are the real deal. No fakery, no funny business, no chemicals - just pure, raw, unadulterated apple-y goodness.