Merridale: A Story Of Apples And Passion
At Cobble Hill in southern Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley is the apple farm that’s home to the granddaddy of BC Craft Cider: Merridale Cidery and Distillery.
Cider
Meet Merridale’s Distiller, Rick Pipes
Merridale Co-Owner Rick Pipes first learned about distillation when he and Janet travelled to Europe to study cider making. The results from Rick’s inspiration have won multiple awards.
Book Review: Drink Beer, Think Beer, by John Holl
Our in-house beer book connoisseur Ted Child delivers another really strong book review. In here, he outlines why Drink Beer, Think Beer— despite the occasional disagreement Ted has with a passage here and there — is a must-read for beer fans.
Cultivating BC’s Taste for Craft Cider
When it comes to the cider scene in BC, those who operate fruit orchards tend to stick together. Based primarily in the province’s pastoral belts, these small operators make cider, at least in part, from their own fruit. Founded in 2016, the BC Farm Crafted Cider Association acts as a voice for these land-based cider producers.
Cider Spotlight: Sea Cider’s Kristen Needham
In 2020, there are at least 32 cideries in BC. As the craft beer industry has continued to grow, so too has the cider industry. Let’s get to know the woman behind Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, and find out more about BC’s second oldest independent cidery.
Lost And Found…and Lost Again
From our Spring 2020 magazine, aka The Cider Issue: Windfall Cider’s Jeff Nairn describes the legendary career of a former cider apple grower: Jim Rahe of Langley’s Annie’s Orchard.
A Brief, Opinionated, History Of Cider
From our Spring 2020 magazine, aka The Cider Issue:
Longtime columnist J. Random breaks down the history of cider from Europe to British Columbia.
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About the time our ancestors came down from the trees, they developed a taste—or at least tolerance—for the alcohol that naturally develops in rotting fruit. These evolving hunter-gatherers might have fermented a beverage from collected fruit well before agriculture.
Super Cider Me!
Whenever anyone asks me about getting into brewing, I suggest they try cider first. It’s a different process but quick, easy, cheap, shows the basic steps of sanitising and fermenting, and is much easier than making beer.
Cider vs. Cider II: A BC Craft Cider Showdown
Every three months, What’s Brewing gets together with JAK’S Liquor Stores to create a new installment of our Tasting Panel series. Just over a month ago, for the second time ever, we reviewed a batch of BC Craft Ciders!
JAK’S took us on a wild ride of cider styles, including the ones seen here. Some of these ciders are available for home delivery. Check out who took our blue ribbon in our Spring Tasting Panel:
https://www.whatsbrewing.ca/panel/2020-01
What’s Brewing Spring 2020 Issue Showcases BC Craft Cider
The latest issue of What’s Brewing magazine is now in market. The Spring 2020 edition has been designated ‘The Cider Issue’. Its 48 pages include a 24-page section devoted to craft cider—almost certainly the most ever said about BC cider in one magazine.
That's All There Was!
That's All There Was!