4 Summer Ciders

Not a lover of beer? Always feel like a glass of wine isn’t quite refreshing enough on a sizzling summer day? We can get behind that, which is why we want to introduce you to some extra special, crazy thirst-quenching, delicious B.C. ciders. —Catherine Dunwoody

A Vancouver-based husband-and-wife team own and operate Windfall Cider and have an impressive lineup of options, including Jackpot (dry, made with B.C. dessert apples), Wild Card (with hops, so beer lovers enjoy it, too), Hail Mary (rose cider made with apples and Saskatoon berries) and their latest, Lost & Found (made from apples foraged in the backyards and urban orchards of Vancouver and the Fraser Valley). Visit their brand-new tasting room, too.

La Petite Abeille Ciders from Naramata Bench are simply beautiful, French-style ciders, we especially love the Sparkling Red Currant, Apple & Honey Cider. La Petite Abeille means little bee and nods to their crucial role as pollinators of the estate Blue Bee Orchard where the fruit for this cidery’s juice comes from. Gorgeous colour, nice and dry with tangy red fruit and apple flavours.

BC Tree Fruits Cider Co. makes a premium hard cider from 100 per cent B.C. fruit called Broken Ladder with no artificial flavours, added water or gluten. Try the delightfully unique flavour profile (sounds strange? Trust us it’s delicious) Plum Basil Cider.

Lonetree Cider just launched two new flavours this summer: Apple Rhubarb Cider and Apple Citrus Cider. The Apple Rhubarb has us tasting tart rhubarb pie, while the Apple Citrus has notes of grapefruit, lemon-lime and pomelo. Here’s something fun: Food Network Canada’s Chef Dale Mackay has created some recipes for Lonetree here.