What We Drink: Cider
1880
Edmond Morin’s 1880 illustration offers a delightful split-screen view of French country life, bridging the gap between hard labor and happy hour. On the left, beneath the bold title 'Le Cidre' woven into the branches, workers strain against a massive wooden press to extract juice from apples in a rustic orchard. The scene then flows to the right, where the reward is served: a lively outdoor gathering where peasants and a top-hatted bourgeois figure share a drink while children play at their feet. It’s a charming snapshot of 19th-century realism that celebrates the simple, communal pleasure of a fresh pour.