I recently posted an article about sparkling wines made in Canada, but much more acknowledged is the cider-making industry, at least in Quebec, Ontario and BC.
Generally, these are on the sweet side compared with French ciders. The non-sparkling ones have a much smaller audience and the driest ones are bracing.
Brands like Michel Jodoin do incredibly well in Quebec, with a line of Champagne-corked bottles with cute names and pretty tints from gold to pink.
But recently I’ve seen more dry(er) ciders hitting stores, the same way Champagne went from sickening sweet Baby Duck to balanced and accessible Veuve Clicquot to bone-dry, zero-dosage extra bruts.
And the other trend I’m seeing in ciders is towards making it a beer substitute. That means it’s coming in a can and it’s often a little bitter or hops-y.
Now, even wineries are getting on the cider wagon, including Tawse, a sustainable farmed winery in Ontario that sells well here in Quebec. I saw their cider when I was in Ontario. It’s carbonated, which is the cheap method of adding bubbles. (The expensive way is à la sparkling wine.) But when you’re reaching for a can of cider and not a bottle with a cork, cheap is what you want. Tawse also makes a 750 mL bottle-fermented version, but that doesn’t mean this canned product is junk. Tawse isn’t using organic apples, but it’s not going to dump tons of cheap sugar into the product either. It’s just a different market – the cans are for the cider drinker who’s going to a buddy’s place on Friday night.
Also for the “heading to a buddy’s place” drinker is this bottle of organic cider from the Great Canadian Cider Company.
It’s naturally fermented, not carbonated. And the “Nice and Dry” version is made with Beaver Valley organic apples. I have to admit I’ve never heard of those apples, but that’s probably because cider apples are not usually the best eating apples. At least not in Brittany – home of cider(?). This company also makes a cider with hops, so if you want that beer flavour without the beer, that’s an option for you too.
The most important part of all this is how do these taste? Honestly, I’m not the biggest cider fan, so my review will be mostly from a flavour standpoint, not a “did I like it?” standpoint.
The Great Canadian Cider was refreshingly crisp. It didn’t have the sweet-and-sour balance of the Michel Jodoin ones that make those more accessible, but that’s a good thing in my opinion. I think it’s an acquired taste – dryness in cider. It’s hard to wean yourself off the sugar when you’re expecting it. Remember when you started drinking wine? Boy, that was rough.
The cans of Tawse are good marketing, but they’re nothing to write home about. I’d definitely drink it if gifted one, since it’s a much higher quality product than Somersby and Angry Orchard and is definitely better than cheaper ones that are basically alcoholic sweetened apple juice.
If you find yourself in Ontario and want to try some ciders, I’d recommend the Nice and Dry from the Great Canadian Cider Company and the 750 mL glass bottle of the Tawse if you can find it.
Quebec has a ton more options, but my favourite is still anything from Entre Pierre et Terre (this one’s represented by Rézin, which specializes in organics and biodynamics) and anything from Clos Saragnat (the pear with the bottle top is represented by Glou, also a specialist in natural, organic and biodynamic wine import).
You’ll be able to taste a ton of Quebec ciders at the upcoming Mondial des Cidres, an annual even at Complexe Desjardins that’s part of Montreal en Lumière. The cider-tasting event is $17 in advance (there are more expensive fancier tickets) and $20 at the entrance. This year the event is March 1, 2 and 3.
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