Happy Ontario Craft Cider Month friends! Thanks to unprecedented growth, especially over the past decade, the Ontario Craft Cider Association (OCCA) has named June its first ever Cider Month.
We’re half way into this month long celebration and things are looking pretty sweet. So – in no particular order – here’s 10 ciders to help you start your own celebrations.
GOLDEN EYE
SPY CIDER HOUSE + DISTILLERY
808108 24th Sideroad, Grey County spydistillery.com
Made with Georgian Bay apples, this crisp refreshing cider is one of many in the works by Grey County’s newest cider house. We recently got a taste of it (and their apple brandy) and were instantly hooked. Side note: we cannot wait for the Crimson Tide to be released later this month. It’s billed as a dry black currant infused apple cider.
POMMIES FARMHOUSE
POMMIES
Headwaters, ON pommies.com
Pommies Farmhouse is the second of five releases from Pommies. It’s a traditional cider made with the fresh pressed juice of Ontario apples. It is a crisp tangy cider, rustic in nature and perfect for those looking to expand their palates but not quite ready to go full on funk. Bonus: it’s also available in the LCBO!
LOST ORCHARD 2017 HARVEST
WINDSWEPT ORCHARD CIDER
Grey County, ON windsweptcider.com
This unique and beautiful cider is made in extremely small batches with a blend of organically grown Macintosh, Liberty, Northern Spy, Cortland & Empire apples, harvested from three lost orchard sites in South Georgian Bay. It’s dry and especially funky due to it’s bottle conditioning. Find it at one of 10 farmers markets in Southern Ontario.
LAVENDER EARL GREY PERRY
COFFIN RIDGE BOUTIQUE WINERY
599448 2nd Concession North, Annan, ON coffinridge.ca
Perry is cider made from pears. It’s sweeter than traditional ciders. We love how this floral, smokey version leans into the sweetness of pears. It’s like a lovely, effervescent cocktail – no mixing required. Cidermaker Joel Loughead just took home Best In Class at the GLINTCAPs for his Maple & Rosemary cider.
CURRANT AFFAIR
HEARTWOOD FARM & CIDERY
5438 Second Line Erin, Acton, ON heartwoodfarm.ca
In case you haven’t notice, we’re a little obsessed with cassis. The Currant Affair from Heartwood Farm does a beautiful job of playing off this little berry’s bitter notes, while still highlighting the apple. It’s just lovely – and the bottle’s big enough to share!
STANDING ROCK
DUNTROON CYDER HOUSE
3079 County Road 124, Duntroon, ON duntrooncyderhouse.com
Standing Rock is the flagship cider from this British-style ciderhouse. It’s a delicate dry cider with hints of butterscotch, baked apple pie, and citrusy tangy notes. We also love the Raindance – a rhubarb infused version available at the cidery in spring.
RUUD BARB
WEST AVENUE CIDER
84 Concession 8 East, Freelton, ON westavenue.ca
This spring cider is fermented with heaps upon heaps of Ontario rhubarb. It’s sour with unexpected notes of grapefruit and vanilla. Only available as a growler fill at the cidery, it’s a limited time treat – one definitely worth venturing to Wellington County for!
DRY-HOPPED CIDER
SPIRIT TREE ESTATE CIDERY
84 Concession 8 East, Freelton, ON spirittreecider.com
This estate cider is made with a mix of Ontario-grown full cone, dried, Cascade and Chinook hops. The hops adds that grassy, astringent note that beer lovers crave. It’s fresh and spriny – deserving of a patio session or two. Lucky for us, the patio at the ciderhouse is glorious; and right now, the apple blossoms are in full bloom![/ezcol_4fifth_end]
ROSÉ CIDER
THORNBURY VILLAGE CIDERHOUSE
90 King St. E,Thornbury, ON thornburycraft.com
We honestly can’t believe we didn’t think of this first. It’s cider. It’s rose. It’s divine! This latest Thornbury concoction is a blend of their award-winning craft cider and Canadian red wine. It’s got pleasant notes of raspberries amidst the refreshing pink-ness of it all.[/ezcol_4fifth_end]
SONATA
REVEL CIDER CO.
Guelph, ON revelcider.ca
This cider screams all things summer. If we didn’t love it so much, we’d pour it on vanialla soft serve and make a cider float. It’s aged on whole Montmorency cherries for three months, giving it a sweet, almost almond like nose. You can currently only get Revel Cider online or in better cider bars – like Her Father’s Cider Bar in Toronto. Hurry up and snag a seat at the bar we say!” [/ezcol_4fifth_end]
