The World of Cider

Turning apples into liquid gold

WORDS BY MARCIA J. HAMM PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

While beer and Ready-To-Drink products (RTDs) might be what many reach for during hot summer days, cider with its crisp, dry, refreshing apple flavour is a popular category for those searching for a lower alcohol, grain-free option.

It’s not just regular grocery store apples like Macintosh, Fuji or Granny Smith that create this drink, but rather heirloom and indigenous cider apples that are specifically grown and harvested.

Sea Cider, an artisanal cidery located in Saanichton, British Columbia on Vancouver Island, has groves of organically grown heirloom apples with names like Kings & Spies, Pippin, Dabinett, and Bittersweet, just to name a few. The farm and cider house boasts 1300 apple trees on ten acres with over 50 heirloom varieties. Owner Kristen Needham purchased the property in 2007 with a vision to farm apples organically and create traditional fermented ciders. Nearly 20 years later, the cidery is a top attraction not just in Victoria, but on the entire island. On their own, the apple trees create a gorgeous setting, but add the views across the water to the mountains, and you have a venue with a perfect backdrop for weddings, family functions and corporate gatherings. Sea Cider also offers non-alcoholic ciders. Look for their product at Sherbrooke Liquor at 11819 St. Albert Trail and 9271 - 50 Street, Edmonton.

Brittany, in the Cornouaille region of France, produces robust, bitter ciders; rich in sugars, yet fermented to dryness. Le Brun Bigoud has been here since 1955, making naturally sparkling, unpasteurized, and 100% pure juice ciders. Unlike apple picking as we know it, apples are collected on the ground which guarantees absolute maturity of the fruit. Twenty varieties of native French bitter and bitter-sweet cider apples are grown. With different times of ripeness, three passes are necessary to collect all the apples. The apples are washed, hand sorted to eliminate any rotten apples, then fermented with the skins intact to obtain the pink colour and pure, quality juice. The Cidre Le Brun rosé has intense, ripe, fruity red apple notes with nuances of cinnamon—a perfect cider for an aperitif. This unique rosé cider is available at Canadian Liquor Store at 101, 18003 - 105 Avenue, Edmonton.

In France, Normandy might be considered the birthplace of cider. Within Normandy, Pay d’Auge is an area known for Calvados production and also quality cider production with Domaine Pierre Huet in the heart of it all. With more than 25 varieties of cider apples and a terroir suited to growing them, they have more than a century of practice in producing these artisanal ciders. The Pierre Huet Cidre Pays d’Auge is labelled as an AOP—a protected designation of origin ensuring quality. The cider is naturally fermented with a nose of musky apples and nutmeg. It is semi-sweet and offers a perfect balance of sweet and bitter. Try with fresh cream dishes and desserts. Look for this authentic cider at Bin 104 Fine Wine and Spirits at 5454 Calgary Trail, Edmonton.