New friends are coming to the craft beer world: the ciders. In some countries like UK it’s normal to go to a pub and down a pint of cider, but not in places without cider culture or different customs as regards this drink consumption. We are sure that the cider is going to be served at the taps of those beer houses which want to offer something different in the near future.Quebec started experimenting with this fermented apple juice some years ago. Their ciders are among the best valued ones of the world. It’s a very highly innovative sector. Their famous cider festivals run the whole year.
The most standard cider sorting in Quebec is: “sparkling”, “still” and “ice cider”. The “still” is made of appl es collected at the right mellow time. The “sparkling” is made out of the “still”. If its bubbles have been obtained by natural processes (bottle or barrel fermentation) “foaming” and “bouché” designations are used. Lastly, the “ice cider”, an invention typical of this province thanks to its climate, differs by the concentration of sugars in the apple from the characteristic cold of the Québécois winters. But there is a 4th cider group, also created in Quebec: the “cider of fire”, which is obtained when roasting apples. The perfect way to pair with desserts.
Les Verges de la Colline (St Cecile de Milton) is a cider company which holds nearly 90 years of tradition. The Lasniers have been passing generation after generation their passion on apple and cider. In 2000, the also family company Marc-Antoine joined after discovering the last tendencies in Europe and America. The cider rediscovery and bringing it to the newest palates become their main goals. Therefore, this long-tradition cider company begins to innovate its techniques and procedures.
They offer a wide range of variety and dare to go for any style, from the Api-Hop a hoppy cider, to sophisticated cider of fire, not to mention the rosé cider, an irresistible version of cider with strawberries.
We could feel the extreme caring is taken to elaborate cider from raw material when we visited their apple tree fields. On top of that, there is the approachable and direct contact with the locals in the bar shop where they offer their products. It can only come out one of the best ciders at Belle Province from such an idyllic place.
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the gourmeteller 