June 29th, 2024- The BC Cider Festival Part Two
hello
THE SHOW
Happy Canada Day Weekend my friends!
After walks, yard work, the local bike path, family gatherings etc it comes time to reward yourself!
After drinking your body weight in water, how about a Cider Experience!
There are many cider choices/regions in this Country. So many, that each region gathers together for a cider festival at least once a year.
The BC Cider Festival is one of my favourites.
(linda c)
Takes place inside and outside The Pipe Shop, very foot of Lonsdale in North Vancouver. Its where they built ships, especially leading up to WW2. My Father, Pat Mulligan worked in The Pipe Shop.
A gathering of ciderists is much like a wine and beer festival but with even more “character” behind the pour. Many of the stories told about cider are family related.
Orchards handed down from generation to generation. The new generation planting different fruit and making blended ciders that defy description!
Cider and
Bourbon
Sherry
Whisky
Wine!!
The interview guests in this second half of our salute to cider include:
Tariq Ahmed – Owner and cidermaker at Revel Cider in Guelph Ont.
Tariq’s family came to Canada from Africa and a younger Tariq told his family after high school he wanted to study farming. The family was not happy about that. “We came to Canada so you didn’t have to do that.”
Tariq Ahmed
However Tariq had discovered an old wine press and started experimenting with pressing fruit, like he had tasted in Quebec.
In 2014 he started Revel Cider and promptly ran out of money. Immediately after he posted that Revel was going to shut down, friends and fans started donating money and he was back in business.
I think you can tell that his ciders are very unique from some of the titles.
The spot you told me about
You are my sunshine
All Day
Flower Power – “smells like aged honey, lemon zest and orange creamsicles, garnished with chamomile blossoms”
I urge you to check out all their fascinating ciders at www.revelcider.ca
Clinton McDougall – Sunday Cider (Gibsons, Sunshine Coast)
Clinton McDougall (linda c)
Co-founder of Bestie in Chinatown and co-founder of Sunday Cider – Vancouver’s first craft cider company.
Craft cider made on BC’s sunny Sunshine Coast. Discover and enjoy an award winning cider in their big, beautiful picnic area surrounded by West Coast Rainforest. Food trucks on site now through September. Plus locally made ice cream, non-alcoholic options and cider to-go. OPEN all year long.
Sunday Cider! Great on Saturdays.
Brent Carlson Owner and Cider Maker Homestead Craft Cider (Agassiz, BC)
Surrounded by West Coast beauty and farms to the horizon, Agassiz is the home in Homestead.
Brett Carlson Homestead Cider (linda c)
“Homestead Cider began as an idea to keep the family homestead thriving and grew into a way for us to share the place where we grew up with our community. Our cider is crafted with our farm-grown apples and local BC ingredients to create something that is flavourful and easy to drink. We hope you enjoy our cider just as much as we enjoyed making it for you.”
Casandra Anderton – representing Sea Cider Farm and Sea House Saanich, Vancouver island.
Kristen Needham Jordan is the founder of Sea Cider. A 6th generation farmer. Even though she inherited the family orchard in 1985, she really wanted nothing to do with farming. Instead she went to boarding school – in Wales. After many years of education and travel around the World Kristen finally conceived Sea Cider.
The cidery became very successful…a huge portfolio found on shelves all across Canada.
Kirsten realized her dream to build a family-owned, community-minded business rooted in farming.
Quinn Ehrler – Owner Barrel Hugger. Cellar Rat Raven’s Moon Ciderworx Courtney/Comox Vancouver Island
Passionate and artistic. Studying culinary arts has him develop a wicked palette. Experienced in fermentation and developing left of center flavors of cider. Loves to experiment with new ideas and flavors and techniques. Hates cleaning the tanks.
Follows in the considerable footsteps of his founding father George.
“Our batches are small. In every bottle of cider you will find the crisp juice of naturally grown heirloom and heritage apples from our farm and other BC farmers. You will find the traditional art of fermentation combined with a twist of a new age of cider. Always with apples as the base, we blend in other Vancouver Island and BC fruit, infusions and botanicals.”
STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON
Garnet Valley Wines – Solvero and Garnet Valley Ranch
Meyer Family Pinot and Chardonnay
Sipster 3
Clos du Soleil
The Hatch
Township 7
Fort Berens
Hillside – new releases (Chef’s Whites)
