East Coast Cider
East Coast Cider
GETTING TO THE CORE OF NOVA SCOTIA’S CIDER SCENE
BY LINDSAY WICKSTROM
Nova Scotia is an apple destination. Or it should be. The Annapolis Valley, with its 400 years of orchards, is well situated to be a world-class cider region. The Acadians planted the first trees in the 1600s, and for most of our history, cider was ubiquitous. It was cider—not beer or wine—that was the favoured drink of the French in the 17th century. The New England Planters were also cider drinkers, with varietals and techniques brought up from the colonies.
So, it begs the question: what happened to cider? Why, with all of these apples, are we only realizing our potential for craft cider now?
The cider production of yesteryear was largely a farmhouse tradition. And, it did not survive the impacts of Temperance, urbanization, and the introduction of cheap, industrially produced beer. But within the last decade, a new thirst emerged for premium beverages made with local ingredients. It only makes sense that apples would make a comeback here now that the time is ripe.
If you’re one to say, “I don’t like cider. It’s too sweet. I had Golden Glow in the 80s,” you should pause to re-examine the spectrum of styles on the market. There’s something for everyone, from bone-dry to barrel-aged, from funky ferments to fruity and fresh, even hopped cider capable of swaying the most devoted beer drinker.
Here are ten cideries making a splash on the drinkable apple scene:
Jimi Doidge
Maritime Express Cider
Maritime Express sits in a historic railway hotel, formerly The Cornwallis Inn, which, in its prime, was said to be one of the most beautiful hotels in Canada. The taproom connects to the replenished mezzanine and ballroom. One might feel transported back in time, like a passenger on the luxurious Flying Bluenose (a passenger train from Halifax to Yarmouth, connecting to Boston and New York by ferry).
Cider-maker and owner Jimi Doidge likes to experiment with seasonal fruit or whatever farmers are trying to get off their hands (hops, rhubarb, cranberries, and blueberries are some usual suspects). He also does barrel-aged ciders and farmhouse ciders (dry, cloudy, less carbonated), and his goal is to acquire an orchard to grow European cider apples like Kingston Blacks. (The majority of the apples grown in Nova Scotia are “dessert” or “culinary” apples, whereas, in Europe, there are specific varietals grown especially for cider).
In addition to cider, Maritime Express has a casual, chef-driven menu with exceptional food, making it the perfect road trip destination for lovers of food, drink, and history.
Be on the lookout for: Lively Airs. Spy and Honeycrisp apples are blended with local strawberries and aged with basil.
Céleste Dawson
Bulwark Cider House
Bulwark is the largest craft cider producer in Nova Scotia, and they are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year! Germain Bergeron jumped into the game early, adding cider to his repertoire at Muwin Estates Winery, where he was already making fruit wines in 2012.
Bulwark has recently opened a taproom on Dresden Row in Halifax in a historic house from the 1850s. Bergeron, who was advised to knock down the building, has preserved its history, keeping the exposed beams, and the landmark, lounge-style space on the second floor (soon to open).
The Bulwark Cider House has 12 cider taps, and you can enjoy everything from their Original Cider to one of their more unique offerings.
Be on the lookout for: Thai Purple Mist, infused with the petals of the Butterfly-Pea Flower.
Jay Hildybrant
Chain Yard Urban Cidery
Chain Yard has made over 100 different ciders to date, from quenchable to contemplative, both traditional and experimental.
Cider-maker, Jay Hildybrant, has an impromptu style of working with whatever he can get from local farmers (when
I talked to him, he was pretty excited about arctic kiwi). He also has a barrel program (ciders aged in French, Bulgarian and Hungarian oak) and was the first to make hopped cider on the east coast.
But Chain Yard is most known for its clean, fruit-forward style, exemplary of the Nova Scotian terroir, with its characteristic minerality and tropical notes.
The taproom is located on Agricola Street, featuring exceptional food from Unchained Kitchen. It promises a diverse cider experience with plenty of products on tap, including guest taps from other Nova Scotian cideries and even taps from the U.K., U.S.A., and Europe. It is one of the most exciting destinations in the north end.
Be on the lookout for: Kiwi Be Friends is aged on local arctic kiwi and muscat skins and then dry-hopped.
Poet Comeau
Lake City Cider
Poet Comeau was a sommelier long before she delved into cider-making, but she’s had an affinity for the drink since falling in love with it in the U.K. in her early 20s.
She ferments using wine equipment, and approaches her ciders the same way she looks at wine, considering balance, acidity, mouthfeel, and a strict definition of “dry.” She opts for cold fermentation, finding that slower performing yeast builds more character in her products, and all of her fruit (even the watermelon, which is only ripe once a year) is local.
Lake City Cider is in the heart of downtown Dartmouth, which makes for a pleasant ferry ride and a well-spent afternoon. While they offer same-day delivery in the HRM, there is simply nothing better than sipping a cider and people-watching on their Portland Street patio.
Be on the lookout for: Field of Dreams—Annapolis Valley apples combined with Nova Scotia strawberry and black currant wines and whole Tanzanian vanilla bean.
Robert Webb
Moonrise Ridge
Robert Webb moved with his family to the Annapolis Valley nine years ago to escape “the heat and the bustle” of Kelowna. He was encouraged by some wine industry friends, also of the Okanagan-to-Annapolis trajectory, to get into the fruit-infused dessert wine export market.
But when the Covid-19 pandemic threw the world on its head, Webb realized an opportunity to make a truly local product for the local market. He switched focus to the fresh fruit he was already fermenting and began specializing in approachable, easy-to-drink ciders with 100% Nova Scotian fruit juice.
Moonrise currently offers peach, pear, wild blueberry and classic apple cider.
You can find Moonrise products in the NSLC and the Wolfville and Chester Farmer’s Markets.
Be on the lookout for: Wild Blueberry is Moonrise Ridge’s best seller. Wild blueberries are sourced from a farmer in Oxford and undergo full-skin fermentation in small batches.
Jennie Dobbs
Sprizzi
Jennie Dobbs (of Morris East) has launched a brand new line of “cider spritzers” with her partner Simon Rafuse (an experienced winemaker). They approach Sprizzi as a quality terroir product, with the best fruit brought to its full potential with spring water from the Gaspereau Valley.
Sprizzi is a low alcohol product at around 4% alcohol. Refreshing and bubbly, it’s a perfect drink for a light lunch or a beach day. You can find Sprizzi at Morris East, perfectly paired with a slice of pizza.
Be on the lookout for: Peach Raspberry Cider Spritzer. The first release from Sprizzi is peaches and apples fermented together, finished with a touch of raspberry juice.
Bryan Lee
Wild Wines & Spirits
Bryan Lee was born in Berwick, the “Apple Capital” of Nova Scotia, and now has an orchard and cidery in Aylesford. Similar to a winery, Lee’s operation is a seasonal cycle of growing, harvesting, pressing and fermenting the fruit on site. In winemaker fashion, he is even making traditional method sparkling ciders.
But Lee’s goal is to make distilled cider. He was inspired while living in England, where he discovered Calvados, a cider brandy from Normandy. He is now working with some Dalhousie engineers, building him a purpose-built, wood-fired, outdoor brandy still.
In the meantime, you can find various Wild products at Bishop’s Cellar or visit the Wild Wines & Spirits retail shop in Aylesford to see Lee’s latest apple alchemy.
Be on the lookout for: Harmony. A take on an aperitif called Pommeau; fresh apple juice, alcoholic apple cider and distilled cider, barrel-aged together for a year or more.
Annapolis Cider Co.
Annapolis Cider Co. specializes in clean and crisp ciders made with a low and slow fermentation and back-sweetened with fresh cider (or other fruit juices) to extract the flavour and aromatics. All the fruit comes from a 20km radius of the taproom in downtown Wolfville—a destination for any cider lover (or even a must-visit for the casually curious Wolfville wanderer).
The Crisp and Dry (sold in 750ml bottles) and the sweeter Classic cider (sold in 6-packs) are the two usual suspects you’ll find in stores. But Annapolis also does a Heritage Series (featuring single varietals like Old Fashioned Gravenstein, Northern Spy and Geneva crabapple) and a Creative Series with inspired concoctions like Muscat Infused, Hopped Pear, and Sour Cherry.
Be on the lookout for: Earl Blue. Annapolis Cider’s most popular concoction is spiked with blueberry juice and steeped with Earl Grey tea.
Planters Ridge
You might be familiar with Planter’s Ridge as the winery with the exceptional Tidal Bay and beautiful vista. But did you know about their Rummed Cider? It came to fruition when owner, John McLarty, realized he had all of this state-of-the-art wine-making equipment that he was only using for three weeks of the year after the harvest. It was only logical to put it to good use, so he developed a signature cider that soon had a following.
The Rummed Cider is sophisticated, festive, and perfect for sipping and sharing. Its apple pie aromas waft up delightfully, but there are no added spices. It’s just the deep complexity effortlessly offered by the partnership of apples and rum.
Be on the lookout for: Rummed Cider. A strong (9.5%) cider infused with Barreling Tide Distillery’s award-winning “Fathom Rum.”
Jake Foley
Sourwood Cider
Jake Foley took his passion for fermentation (from kimchi to kombucha) and turned it into an iconic North End cidery. Sourwood Cider is warm and welcoming, with lots of tasty taps and phenomenal tacos by Beverley Taco Service.
What differentiates Sourwood from other cideries is Foley’s preference for spontaneous fermentation. He loves to push the boundaries while also keeping things old school and hands-off, using the natural microflora of the fruit to capture the time and place—the terroir—and just letting the microbes do their thing.
Recently he’s become fascinated by grapes and is co-fermenting (or blending) apples and Nova Scotia grape varietals to make unique products. Partial to organic fruit, Foley likes to pick his own from backwoods orchards and has recently bought a plot of land where he will be planting grapes and apples.
Be on the lookout for: Piquette-style ciders, made with the sugary pulp and skins leftover after the fruit is pressed. Next, water is added, and the solution is fermented, resulting in a quenchable, low acidity, low alcohol product (usually 2.5%-4.5%).
