Barneys x Ascension Pickle! Cider

Ascension are part of the newer wave of UK cider makers who’ve helped drag cider away from old stereotypes and into something far more creative, expressive, and exciting. Based in East Sussex, the project was founded by Matt Billing in 2017 and quickly built a reputation for bright, fruit-forward ciders that still keep a strong connection to proper fermentation and traditional cider making underneath all the energy and experimentation. The whole thing feels very modern, but without losing sight of what cider actually is in the first place.

One of the most interesting parts of the project is the way Ascension approach sustainability. A huge amount of the fruit they use comes from apples rejected by supermarkets purely for cosmetic reasons, fruit that would otherwise go to waste despite being completely good to eat and ferment. That philosophy sits right at the centre of the brewery’s identity and gives the whole project a slightly rebellious feel too. There’s a real sense that they’re interested in challenging ideas around what cider “should” look like, both literally and stylistically.

The ciders themselves lean heavily into freshness, big fruit character, and experimentation. Alongside more traditional apple-led releases, Ascension work with berries, cherries, grapes, botanicals, and all sorts of unusual flavour combinations, often producing ciders that sit somewhere between modern craft beer culture and traditional farmhouse cider. Despite that creativity though, the project never really feels gimmicky or over-designed. There’s still a strong sense of fun, community, and drinkability running through everything they do.

A lot of that atmosphere probably comes from the people behind it too. Ascension has always felt like a genuinely independent project built around enthusiasm, experimentation, and a slightly DIY spirit rather than polished corporate branding. The artwork, the cider names, the whole “Cidernauts” identity, it all adds to the feeling that this is cider being made by people who are properly excited about the category and where it can go next.