B.C. Cider

If you are ever near Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, I highly recommend stopping for lunch a cider tasting at the Merridale Cidery and Distillery. They produce excellent cider made from undiluted apple juice from the fruit grown at the Cobble Hill Farm in the heart of Cowichan. With lunch (brisket sandwich on a delicious bun made right on the premises), I had one of many samplers (called “flights”) offered at the bistro, but you can create your own flight from the list. Each cider I tasted had a distinct character, and the tasting gave e an opportunity to compare different styles and flavours, from dry to sweet, mild to stronger, from 7% to 19.5%.  My personal favourite was Scrumpy, a strong, sharp and dry variety.  

The area has an excellent combination of climate and soil, and a number of different apples are grown. The juice used is undiluted, and the cidery only uses the first-press juice. There are no additives, and the fermentation is natural and slow. Some ciders are flash pasteurized, and some are unpasteurized (I prefer those). So if you are in the area, don’t miss this great place.