A cider-tasting event at Sea Cider in Victoria features this array of different tasting ciders. Many are made from apples grown by Ron Schneider at Heart Achers in Cawston.
A cider-tasting event at Sea Cider in Victoria features this array of different tasting ciders. Many are made from apples grown by Ron Schneider at Heart Achers in Cawston.
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apples. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2 per cent to 8.5 per cent and higher in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany, cider may be called “apple wine.” In North America, the term “hard cider” is sometimes used for the alcoholic beverage, while “cider” can also refer to a non-alcoholic apple juice.
It takes about thirty-six apples to create one gallon of apple cider.
It takes four to five years for a tree to start producing apples; a Northern Spy takes twelve years.
Fifty-six per cent of apples in Canada are sold fresh (at harvest or later), the remainder being processed into juice, sauce, pie filling, frozen slices, and other products.
“Here is the shortest possible instruction set for turning apples into cider,” stated the website howtomakecider.com: “Get some apples; chop them up really small; press them; put the apple juice in a container; add yeast; let it ferment for a month or two; put the cider in clean bottles; wait for a couple of months; drink the cider.”
As I read this, starting to feel thirsty, I thought, “Well, that sounds pretty easy.” But then I read: “If you follow these instructions, you will produce cider, but probably not very nice cider. With brewing a drink that is both alcoholic and great tasting, the devil is in the detail.”
The rest of the website was dedicated to de-deviling those details—an act that cider makers like Kristen Jordan, Rick Pipes, Janet Docherty, and numerous others around the world seem to have perfected. Cider is a fermented drink like wine, but made from apples instead of grapes. Like wine, cider can be still or sparkling.
A container of apples is used—very appropriately—as a doorstop at Sea Cider in Victoria.
Cider making is an age-old practice but it’s difficult to establish just how early the first cider sippers emerged. One timeline I saw has villagers in Kent drinking a cider-like beverage made from apples when the Romans arrived in 55 BC. Apparently Charlemagne referred to it in the ninth century AD, and by 1066, cider consumption was widespread in Europe. Most sources seem to agree that following a decline in cider consumption in the twentieth century, it’s now making a comeback.1
An increase in cider-drinking fits nicely with the growing popularity and demand for heritage apples. In fact, in some cases—such as Ron Schneider at Heart Achers—it’s driving the demand. While cider can be made from any apple, the best cultivars are the bittersweet varieties grown specifically for cider making and not for apple eating. This means that cider makers must turn to heritage apples and not those made popular in recent years for their sweet taste and pretty appearance.
In Canada, cider is made in several provinces, much of it by small-scale craft cideries, but in Quebec, it’s considered a traditional beverage. Quebec cider making has a colourful past, including a legislative omission in 1920 that rendered it illegal. The situation wasn’t officially corrected until 1970, although cider continued to be produced (but not legally sold) in the interim. The revival of cider in Quebec is relatively recent because Quebec’s alcohol-regulating body, the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux, did not start issuing permits for craft cider making until 1988. However, sources say that by 2008, some forty cider makers were producing more than a hundred types of apple-based alcohol.
One of these products, ice cider, is a Quebec innovation that uses the province’s harsh climate to its advantage. Built on the idea of ice wine, ice cider is created by pressing apples that are naturally frozen on the trees during winter. The liqueur-like result is absolutely divine and it has taken the cider-drinking world by storm, winning numerous international awards since it hit the market in 1996.
I was introduced to ice cider in the summer of 2011, as Bruce and I wandered through a market in Quebec City. By about 9:00 AM, I found myself feeling pretty happy after sampling various ice ciders, which can have an alcohol content of up to 20 per cent. Later, I looked up the website of one of the ice ciders we bought—Le Pedneault—to see if heritage apples were used in its production. It turns out that Pedneault has a rich history, dating back to 1918 when the family first planted apple trees on ancestral lands, later launching a business in apple tree sales. It added a wine cellar and cider and vinegar factories in 1999, and now produces over twenty types of alcohol, mostly from apples, as well as vinegars and non-alcoholic products. In addition to growing some heritage apples varieties I’d seen elsewhere, like McIntosh and Fameuse, Pedneault grows Melba (Ottawa, 1898), Duchess of Oldenburg (Russia, 1818), Antonovka (Russia, 1800s), Lobo (Canada, 1898), and Wealthy (Minnesota, 1860).
A variety of apple offerings, created by Le Pedneault in Quebec, was being sold at a beautiful indoor market in Quebec City.
A very different list makes up the heritage apple trees planted at Sea Cider, a small craft cidery on the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island. Sea Cider has fifteen hundred trees, and grows over sixty varieties of organic heritage apples, selected for their “superior cider qualities”—which typically translates into “inferior eating qualities.” Cider apples are usually too tart and astringent to eat, containing high levels of tannin, but they give cider a flavour that dessert apples don’t have. Tannin, an important compound in traditional English-style cider apples, is defined as “any of various soluble astringent complex phenolic substances of plant origin . . .” 2 I personally find Kristen Jordan’s definition a bit more palatable: “Tannin produces a tannic flavour, the kind of taste that black tea leaves in your mouth—big and dry. You want that for British-style cider. It gives the cider structure.” Bittersweet apples have the most tannins or phenolics, and dessert apples the least.
In 2004, when Kristen bought the ten acres of pasture that now house Sea Cider, she and her then-husband, Bruce Jordan, decided to plant predominantly English bittersweet heritage apples like Dabinette, Kingston Black (also the name of their dog), Chisel Jersey, and Yarlington Mill.
“We thought when we planted the tannic-heavy apples that we’d go with tannic styles and make English-style cider, which has a wild, earthy flavour,” Kristen recalled. “In fact, Sea Cider’s Wild English cider is exactly that. Appreciated mostly by cider traditionalists, it’s less approachable for North Americans, whose cider experience is often the syrupy-sweet pink liquid purchased in two-litre plastic bottles at the liquor store. Wild English is ‘hardcore,’” said Kristen. “If you like stinky cheese, you’ll like Wild English.”
However, instead of making only English-style cider, they ultimately developed a mix of cider types. So in addition to their cider apple trees, they planted other heritage varieties—mostly of European and North American descent—like Fameuse, Gravenstein, Pomme Gris, Spartan, Summer Red, Winter Banana, and Wolf River. They also turned to apple suppliers like Ron Schneider.
“We thought we’d be self-sufficient but it proved better to work with others. It adds to the interest and complexity of the ciders,” Kristen said. “Luckily, people like Ron had apples typically used for North American ciders, and others [nearby] are preserving and collecting heritage varieties that we don’t see elsewhere.”
It’s exciting, she added, to use apples that have their own histories and stories, and to know the people who are growing and producing them. In addition to purchasing apples from Heart Achers, Sea Cider buys from orchards on the Gulf Islands and on Vancouver Island, as well as from LifeCycles, which, among other things, harvests and distributes fruit that would otherwise go to waste. LifeCycles supplies Sea Cider with all the apples (mostly King of Tompkins and Northern Spies) for its Kings and Spies cider.
Sea Cider owner Kristen Jordan gives a tour of the Victoria based cidery during a special apple event in 2011.
PHOTO: SIERRA LUNDY
For Kristen, knowing the stories behind the apples is part of the joy of making cider. Kings and Spies, which also uses whatever other apple varieties LifeCycles has available in a given year, is less dry than Wild English, and Kristen described it as a “fruit-forward, Italian-style sparkling cider.” When I tasted it, I was reminded of Prosecco, and Kristen agreed it’s a cider that “sits in wine territory.”
Kristen also likes the historical serendipity of the way Sea Cider makes Pommeau, a thicker drink, closer in taste and texture to port or sherry, which uses mainly Fameuse apples, many of which come from Heart Achers.
“Snow apples were first grown in Lower Canada, likely from a seedling brought over from Normandy. Now we’re using those to make a Normandy-style cider,” she said. “Having the heritage behind the apples gives the cider a special character.”
In making the Normandy-style Pommeau, Sea Cider first slowly ferments the hand-pressed apples and then takes the fermented cider to a distillery, Victoria Spirits. The cider is distilled and then aged in oak barrels for about six months. The alcohol level sky-rockets to 90 per cent, and Sea Cider adds apple juice to bring it down to 19 per cent. (In France, it must be 17 per cent alcohol to be called pommeau but typically it is between 17 and 19 per cent.)
Kristen was eighteen when her father died and left her an apple orchard on Shuswap Lake in the BC interior. She had no interest in apples, but developed a fondness for traditional-style cider during two years at school in Wales. “So there I was drinking cider, and I owned an apple orchard,” she recalled, noting that the Shuswap trees had long since disappeared into the forest, their apples handily feeding neighbourhood bears. (Ultimately, it wasn’t worth the work and expense of turning it back into a working orchard.)
But all this was fermenting in her brain years later, when, as the mother of two young children, she worked as an international development consultant on agriculture rehabilitation in Ethiopia, and found herself wanting to be home more often with her family. (She now finds it ironic that she’s educated in environmental management and said, laughing, “It’s one thing to throw around advice and another to be the one actually doing the agriculture.”) Suddenly pining for an occupation that would keep her at home, she started thinking about cider, which she and her husband had been making for fun with apples from trees on their Victoria property.
“We made cider for our personal consumption, and basically apologized when we served it to friends.”
Bruce Cameron and Kristen Jordan discuss all aspects of cider and cider making, during a cider-tasting event at Sea Cider.
In order to “up their game,” they took courses in commercial cider making at Washington State University. They found Ron Schneider online and, using his apples in 2002, produced about four hundred litres of cider in their garage. That amount was upped to four thousand litres by adding space in Kristen’s mother’s garage, and now Sea Cider produces forty thousand litres of cider a year.
“Ron was ahead of his time planting the heritage cider apples; he went against the grain,” said Kristen, noting that he and other growers of heritage apples have helped preserve and maintain varieties that would otherwise disappear.
Most of Sea Cider’s cider has been developed through trial and error, including its most popular variety, Rumrunner, which uses mostly Winesaps and Winter Bananas, some from Heart Achers. (“When Winter Banana ferments out,” Kristen said, “it really smells like bananas.”) Rumrunner resulted from an experiment in aging cider in screech barrels from Newfoundland. Unfortunately, Newfoundland stopped using oak barrels for screech so Sea Cider turned to Heavenly Hills in Kentucky, which now supplies them with bourbon barrels. Sea Cider resaturates the barrels by rolling screech around in them and then uses them to age the Rumrunner cider. (This doesn’t always work according to plan—one batch of Rumrunner came out at 26 per cent alcohol and they had to blend it back to 12.5 per cent.) But the result is a dark, semi-dry, sparkling cider with hints of “brown sugar and spice” and, of course, rum. This is the cider putting Sea Cider on the map, selling all over Canada and making forays into the United States.
As a North American-style cider, Pippins is considered Sea Cider’s most approachable brand. More like white wine, it can be paired with anything and makes “cider skeptics less skeptical,” said Kristen. This cider uses mostly Newton Pippins from Ron blended with island-grown apples such as Winter Banana and Sunset. Like the pioneer North American cider makers, Sea Cider adds cane sugar during the fermentation process to raise the alcohol content to 9.5 per cent. (The higher the alcohol level, the longer it keeps, an important factor for old-time cider makers.)
Another cidery on Vancouver Island, located about ninety minutes north of Sea Cider in the Cowichan Valley, is Merridale Estate Cidery, the first of its kind in BC. Here, owners Rick Pipes and Janet Docherty sell seven ciders, three fortified dessert wines, and a range of brandies and spirits, all made on site from apples grown in their own orchard as well as from other BC farms. About twelve years ago, Rick and Janet were looking for a challenging and interesting business they could run together.
“We found Merridale,” said Rick. “At the time, it was a small producer making about 20,000 litres of cider per year and having less than 1,000 visitors. We now produce and sell about 130,000 litres of cider and host about 30,000 people per year.”
In addition to making and selling the ciders, wines, and spirits, Merridale has a bistro-style restaurant with local, seasonal food, a brick-oven bakery (yes, they make apple pie), a farm store—which sells gourmet food and local art in addition to Merridale products—plus a spa, featuring specialty cider soaps, foot scrubs, and other spa products made from site-grown apples. It offers tours (including four different cider tours), tastings, and lunch packages, and hosts events such as weddings in the orchard and special dinners at the restaurant.
Rick said Merridale ciders are made from heritage apples that have been used in Southwest England and Northern France for centuries, including Tremletts Bitter, Yarlington Mill, Dabinette, Frequin Rouge, Locard Vert, Julienne, and Judain. Merridale grows all of these varieties in its orchard.
“We also have five other orchards growing the same varieties for us [taken] from cuttings off our trees. Three of the orchards are in the Cowichan Valley, one is in Kelowna, and one is in Keremeos. By spreading out the growing regions, we get fruit with different flavour profiles and we spread out the risk of disease and weather.”
As at Sea Cider, each of Merridale’s ciders is a “blend of apples aimed at a particular palate.” Some, like the House, MerriBerri, and Traditional, are designed to be enjoyed with or without food. Others, such as Normandie and Somerset, pair best with food, while Scrumpy and Cyser are more traditional English blends. Merridale’s cider flights involve tasting six ciders, designed to introduce patrons to the “rich range and different traditions of cider making in one sitting.”
“[There’s] English, French, Scotch—even a taste of the ancient Viking-style Cyser. This is a history lesson most enjoy taking,” states the cidery website.3 In addition to focussing on their growing business, Rick and Janet are strong advocates for preserving healthy farmland for the future.
“Growing heritage apples using sustainable practices and educating people about the need to plan for the future is very important to Janet and me,” said Rick. “Sustainable farming is about avoiding the use of herbicides and pesticides, and developing a healthy environment for the bees and the rest of our neighbours in nature. We’re proud of the way we farm and work very hard to educate our guests.”
Luckily, cider makers like those at Sea Cider, Merridale, and Le Pedneault are producing a number of palate-pleasing varieties that will meet head-on the rekindled desire for cider. This means that cider lovers like me don’t have to try to figure out website de-devilling instructions on how to make our own cider in the basements of our homes.
PHOTO: DERRICK LUNDY
Taste and appearance: A yellow apple with red stripes and flush. The flesh is yellowish, crisp, juicy, and somewhat coarse. It appeals to those who like aromatic, rich-tasting, sweet-tart apples.
Use: Eating fresh and cooking.
History: It is thought to have come from near Washington, Warren County, New Jersey, and brought to Tompkins County, New York, by Jacob Wycoff in 1804, who called it King. It was renamed King of Tompkins County in about 1855.
Growing and harvesting: Picked in early to mid-October, it keeps three months. Prone to mildew and scab, it is now losing its popularity to newer varieties that are easier to grow, though it is still highly recommended for the West Coast.
Other: Known commonly as King.
PHOTO: DERRICK LUNDY
Taste and appearance: Large to very large, round-conical, and sometimes slightly ribbed. The skin is green with dull red streaks or flush. The flesh is yellowish, fine-grained, and firm, with a high vitamin C content. It has a rich, intense, and fruity flavour.
Use: Eating fresh, cooking, juice, and cider. Described as the “supreme apple for apple pies.”
History: Said to grow near the underground railway used by slaves escaping to Canada—thus its name. It started gaining popularity in 1840.
Growing and harvesting: Picked in late October, it keeps four months.
Other: Because of its resistance to the woolly aphid, the tree is used for rootstock breeding programs.
PHOTO COURTESY ORANGE PIPPIN LTD.
Taste and appearance: Small, firm, yellow apple with a red flush. The taste is sweet to bittersweet.
Use: Cider.
History: Emerged in England in the early 1900s.
Growing and harvesting: Described as “hardy.”
Other: A very popular English cider apple.
PHOTO COURTESY ORANGE PIPPIN LTD.
Taste and appearance: Small, dark red, irregularly shaped.
Use: Cider and juice. Referred to as “the most valuable cider apple,” with one of the best-flavoured juices.
History: Believed to have originated in Somersetshire, England, in about 1820, and probably named after the village of Kingston St. Mary, near Taunton.
Growing and harvesting: Picked very late in the season, and not the easiest of varieties to grow. It is generally considered prone to disease.
French Lentils in Cider
2 cups French lentils (green lentils)
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups dry cider
2 bay leaves
2 carrots, in ¼-inch dice
1 small red onion, minced
10 strips bacon, fried crispy and crumbled, or 8 oz hard sausage, cut up
Vinaigrette:
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2⁄3 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 cup minced fresh parsley
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Put lentils in pot and cover with stock and cider. Add bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes. Add carrots and onions and cook until lentils are tender (10 to 15 minutes more). Drain lentil mixture (if necessary) but keep enough liquid to keep lentils moist. Discard bay leaves. Add bacon. Whisk garlic, mustard, vinegar, and oil together and pour over warm lentils. Add thyme and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Hot Buttered Rumrunner
3 cups (one bottle) Rumrunner cider
1 cinnamon stick
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
2 whole cloves
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Heat cider on low heat until it is hot but not boiling, then add spices, stir, and allow to steep for at least 30 minutes (best if allowed to steep for several hours). Add butter, stir to melt, serve in heatproof mugs. Makes 4 servings.