cases while Sea Cider Farms uses 260,000 pounds to make 7,000 cases. Theresa Garthwaite of Left Field, Kate's sister, says their limit on production is sourcing enough apples. If they had more they could make and sell more cider. Overall, says Thompson, “The B.C. apple industry currently has a number of challenges and while another outlet for apples is always positive, I don’t see the craft cider industry having a large impact on most growers any time soon. However, I’d be happy to be proven wrong!” To Market, To Market Marketing is an individual strategy, dependent on goals and production capacity. “We sell on Vancouver Island and in the Lower Mainland. We sell all of our product each year,” says Pipes. At East Kelowna Cider orchard tours are another way to engage visitors and help brand the product so that when the buyers want cider later on, East Kelowna Cider will leap to mind.
CRAFT CIDERIES
Big Rock Brewery Calgary www.bigrockbeer.com Product: Rock Creek Dry Cider (uses Okanagan fruit in its cider) Double Cross Cidery @ the Junction Kelowna www.function-junction.ca Annual production: 4,500 L Product: Hard Apple Cider, Braeburn Iced Cider, Fuji Iced Cider, Pink Lady Iced Cider, Pear Iced Cider East Kelowna Cider Co. Kelowna www.eastkelownacider.com Annual production: 20,000 L Product: Ross Hard Apple Cider to deep, Ross Logger Cider, Winter Gold Iced Cider, Winter Burn Iced Cider and three soft ciders Left Field Cider Company Logan Lake www.leftfieldcider.com Annual production: just under 30,000 L Product: Big Dry, Little Dry, limited release, small-batch Cidermaker’s Select Series
26 Fall 2013
Merridale Ciderworks Vancouver Island www.merridalecider.com Annual production: 130,000 L Product: English-style Traditional Cider, House Cider, Scrumpy Cider, Cyser Cider, Merri Berri Cider, Cidre Normandie, Champagne-style Somerset Cider Sea Cider Farms & Cider House Saanichton www.seacider.ca Annual production: 65,000 L Product: sulphite-free Flagship, Wild English, Kings & Spies, Pippins, Rumrunner, Cyser, Pommeau, Pomona Summerland Heritage Cider Co. Summerland www.summerlandcider.com Annual production: 5,400 L Product: Tuesday’s Original The View Winery Kelowna www.wardshardcider.com Annual production: 108,000 L Product: Wards Hard Apple Cider Tree Brewing Co. Kelowna www.treebeer.com Product: Dukes Dry Apple Cider
Sea Cider sells throughout western Canada and the western U.S., using an online distributor south of the border to sell into 30 states. While the East Kelowna Cider Co. sells only in B.C., the Left Field Cider Company markets product in the Okanagan, the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and Alberta. The View sells its cider to hundreds of locations around the province and has a distributor in the U.S. They also sell bulk cider to breweries, so they can make their own blends. Looking Ahead All the craft cideries interviewed agree the future looks bright. Sales have increased each year at Double Cross Cidery and they are currently debating whether to go larger. “People love to try something different and there are already a number of outstanding ciders being produced here with more entrants coming in the next few years,” says Thompson of Summerland Heritage Cider. “These new cideries can’t help but to raise the visibility of craft cider in the province and we welcome them.” Kate Garthwaite of Left Field just finds it exciting that a cider culture is emerging in North America, especially on the west coast. ■