With summer in full swing, we’ve appealed to BC’s community of passionate local cidermakers and cider lovers to get their recommendations for the best sips of the season. The result is a list of refreshing and remarkable quaffs, perfect for pairing with some of your favourite summertime foods.
Since several of these ciders are limited to extremely small quantities, we encourage you to treat this list as a treasure map to apple-y deliciousness in the immediate weeks ahead…
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
Petal & Root, which is a just-off-dry cider that’s made from BC apples, infused with hibiscus flowers, and blended with fresh-pressed ginger juice. I don’t always think of ginger as a summer flavour, but here I find its spiciness incredibly refreshing, especially coupled with the tartness from the hibiscus. And the cider is this unbelievably brilliant red, which looks dazzling in a glass.
What should we pair with it?
What food would I pair with it? Don’t overthink it. This is a flavourful cider that’s perfect for enjoying al fresco. Open a bag of top-shelf potato chips, dangle your feet off the edge of the dock, and get lost in the moment.
— Matt Cavers, Head Cidermaker and Production Manager
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
We recommend a new cider for us this year: our CYSER! Cyser is a co-ferment of our BC pressed apple juice and delicious BC made Elias alfalfa-clover honey. Essentially a hybrid cider and mead. It has a rich, caramel backbone with light aromas of citrus and pear whilst finishing with just a tiny honey sweetness.
What should we pair with it?
Cheese, cheese and more cheese! This would pair beautifully with any cheese but for this hot summer what about a pear, pecan and blue cheese salad?! Yum.
— Nick Farrer, Co-founder and Production Manager
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
Nomad Cider – Pinot Noir Barrel.
What should we pair with it?
I recommend pairing it with cheese and charcuterie – but in due time, it will pair best with Ça Marche’s prosciutto buckwheat galette!
— Maxime Bettili, Owner of Ça Marche
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
Cedar Cider Sun Haze Passionfruit – a hazy vibrant sour cider made with maracuja passionfruit.
What should we pair with it?
Cheese board, featuring a strong blue cheese and fresh fruit.
— Gabriel Jefferies, Cidermaker and Owner
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
“Crabby-Pear” – it’s high acid goodness!
What should we pair with it?
Eat with your favourite Poke bowl!
— Annelise Simonsen, Owner
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
Cowichan Dry. Merridale’s Cowichan Dry is fermented from a blend of English cider apples that a balance of bitters, sharps, and a touch of fruitiness – crafted since 1999 on Vancouver Island.
What should we pair with it?
Pair with an easy and refreshing salad of mixed garden greens, shredded beet and carrot, house-smoked cheddar, toasted pumpkin seeds. Then topped with a Merridale vinaigrette made from honey and apple cider vinegar from the farm, mixed with olive oil, lemon juice and spices.
— Bonnie Nethery, Food and Beverage Manager
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
Highly recommend our newest fruited cider, our Haskap. Local Haskap berries were conditioned on fermented cider for 2 months. A tart blueberry and raspberry opening is complimented by black currant and elderberry undertones. Structured tannins are integrated with a long mixed berry finished.
What should we pair with it?
Game meat, lamb, root vegetables and soft cheeses.
— Brad and Mike, Owners and Cidermakers
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
Our Sip & Tell single varietal Mac cider is a real refreshing summer drink.
What should we pair with it?
Pairs well with a burger (meat or veg), pulled pork or anything off the BBQ including grilled veggies.
— Christine Hardie, Co-owner and Cidermaker
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
ORCHARD English-style Dry Cider.
What should we pair with it?
This sweetly aromatic and dry “Somerset” style cider makes a lovely aperitif enjoyed with a creamy mould-ripened cheese (The Farm House’s “Lady Jane”), and also pairs nicely with creamy pastas (Carbonara) or Quiche Lorraine (The Pie Shoppe’s Smoked Bacon Quiche).
— Christine Moulson, Brand / Storyteller
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
We’d love to recommend our new Farm Pressed Italian Plum.
What should we pair with it?
Black bean burgers, or really anything savoury, go well with the off-dry plum-jam flavour.
— Lauren Wilson, Owner & Cidermaker
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
Sunday Rosé – Ripe Okanagan apples, co-fermented with saskatoon berries, hibiscus and elderflowers. Enjoy juicy layers of fresh fruit and flowers. Notes of fresh cut summer strawberries.
What should we pair with it?
Take the cold cans to the beach with some fish & chips. Or sip on it in a nice glass with a few barbacoa tacos.
— Clinton McDougall, Cidermaker
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
Truck59’s flagship cider, ‘Baptism By Firetruck’ – a refreshing semi-dry apple cider.
What should we pair with it?
It is particularly great with our food truck’s Smoked BBQ, but is also very crushable on its own.
— Dionne Thompson, Manager at Truck59 Cider House
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
Field Blends, 2020 harvest.
What should we pair with it?
Pair with snacky picnic foods like naturally-leavened bread, savoury olives and sauteed chickpeas.
— Katie, Co-Cidermaker
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
Hopped Apricot cider. This cider is the best of both worlds with flavours of both fruit and hops, and it pairs perfectly with your backyard BBQs.
What should we pair with it?
Burgers and cider all the way!
— Emma Roberts, Director of Sales and Marketing for Klippers Organic Acres
Which cider do you recommend for drinking this summer?
Windfall Wildcard – Dry Hopped Cider. Made from a blend of BC Apples, this dry hopped Cider is bright and citrusy with a delicate nuttiness that will appeal to cider and beer lovers alike.
What should we pair with it?
Mexican food, charcuterie picnics & tangy Cheese.
— Nathaly Nairn, Co-founder
There are 5 comments
Popular
Get to Know the Gastown Izakaya Giving Vancouver’s After-Hours Scene Exactly What it Wants
From Road Trip Wisdom to Laugh-Love-Language, with Bailey Hayward and Mathew Bishop
Hit East Van for the 2nd Annual Vancouver Brewers Fest, April 19-28th
Ten Places to Steam, Soak and Sauna In and Around Vancouver, Mapped
The Newest, Coolest and Best Food & Drink in Victoria Right Now
you missed Ward’s cider. 5th generation family owned farm since 1922. their mimosa cider is delicious and their Tropical Green Tea Infintea cider was just awarded double gold at the 2021 ACWC. All there ciders are made from 100% estate grown apples.
Inevitably you are going to miss some and that is highly possible due to lack of self promotion of the cideries so just taking this opportunity to give a shout out to Farmstrong Cidery in Armstrong BC and the newly opened Shuswap Cider Company in Salmon Arm. We are also excited to welcome Northyards Cider originally from Squamish to Salmon Arm in the near future!
Good to know, sandy. Planning an Okanagan cider tour for next week!
How about Spinnakers House Dry cider, from Victoria — a classic, full-flavoured dry cider.
And, let’s not forget Left Field Cider Co., from Mamette Lake, BC — top-notch ciders; their Big Dry is my all-time favourite! Just picked up a bakers dozen at the Kits farmers market in Vancouver last Sunday (to bring back to Victoria!).
Shout out to Geo Cider in Squamish! Unique flavours to savour! This summer I’m loving the Watermelon Lemonade Apple Cider. Their Blood Orange is outstanding and they also make the best Peach Cider I’ve tasted!