HERE'S something I bet you didn't know. Cider was used in 14th century England to baptise babies because it was considered safer than water.
Just add that little trivia snippet to the many reasons why more and more Western Australian's are choosing to pick up a pint of cider as their refreshment of choice on a long, lazy summer afternoon.
Fortunately for us, John Lucey and Pat Corrigan saw the tidal wave of liquid gold coming long ago.
Together with the Vowles family, the Luceys and the Corrigans started The Cidery in 2000, which has now become an iconic sight for thirsty travellers coming into Bridgetown.
Even though both John and Pat are English, their fathers were Irish so it made sense to open their doors for the first time on a festive occasion such as St Patrick's Day.
"Well, it means we can have a big celebration every year doesn't it!" John said.
However there's a more serious side to The Cidery, with a great deal of thought having gone into creating a business that not only supported local producers but also promoted Bridgetown itself.
Firstly and most importantly though, the families wanted to do something together that would 'value-add' to their friendship according to John.
"Our philosophy is collaboration and value-adding to our lives," he said.
"We can achieve so much more as a team than as individuals and we have a great set of skills between us.
"We bought a block that had a lot of potential at the entrance of the town and spent 12 months developing it into The Cidery."
Since the initial team of three families came together, another four families have joined the core group and all contribute to the business in one way or another.
Why they settled on cider was a perfect storm of factors at the time, including an awareness of a resurgence of cider throughout the UK in the mid-1990s, Bridgetown's early history built on a roaring apple trade and limited options to attract interest from roaming tourists passing through town.
The fourth reason was the Corrigan family had settled on an old apple orchard, where Pat had started to tinker around with brewing his own cider.
"To us it was obvious, it was a chance to do something with our mates and also re-introduce cider into Bridgetown," John said.
"What also gave us confidence was the resurrection of cider in the UK and the opportunity to make some new-age ciders for the growing market.
"We source all our apples from Harvey Giblett in Manjimup, primarily using the Pink Lady which is fitting as it was developed in Manjimup."
The team recognised the strong link between tourism and agriculture from the beginning and has become the longest running boutique cider establishment in WA.
John said they not only wanted to enhance visitor's experiences in Bridgetown but also have a place for locals to go where they could slow down, catch up and enjoy a beverage or two.
"We want everyone to leave The Cidery as an advocate, not just a customer," he said.
"In England, pubs are much more a part of the community and we wanted to recreate that."
In addition to the laid-back atmosphere the other important thing you will find at The Cidery is of course its mouth-watering cider.
The golden goodness is 100 per cent natural with no additives or preservatives and hand-crafted using traditional methods to savour the true essence of century-old cider recipes.
There has also been huge growth in the boutique beer market, which was when The Cidery brewer Mark Hollet stepped onto the scene six years ago, making grown men cry ever since.
"Our beer is only available at The Cidery," John said.
"We joke that we regularly see grown men cry almost every week when they find out they can't take our beer home in bottles."
However cider remains the team's primary focus and is found in 40 outlets in Perth and over 100 outlets throughout the South West and regional WA.
But don't make the mistake of thinking these ciders are your average polite beverage; these brews pack a punch.
"We call them ciders with attitude," John said.
Starting with the 'Scudamore's Scrumpy', this popular pint leaves a lasting impression and so it should after being left to mature for five years.
According to John, a true Scrumpy was closest to the most traditional rough farmhouse ciders and was basically on its way to being vinegar, which was still or flat and dry on the palate.
There is also Vintage Gold, Bitter Sweet, Spider Cider and Sweet Rosie, all of which contained slightly different attributes and strengths.
Thirst quenchers of the non-alcoholic kind include the Soft Cider and Apple Kiss.
The food menu at The Cidery was specially selected to complement the drinks menu, sticking with the company's primary produce philosophy and using local ingredients where possible.
What the future holds for The Cidery could only be determined by the driven team's inability to sit still, with a range of different products currently being trialled.
"I can't speak more highly of the team that work with us and we are all very proud of our town," John said.
"We have all chosen to live here and are passionate about attracting more people to the South West."
