Craft cider prompts Brock to serve up program
Ontario craft cider continues to grow in popularity.
The low-alcohol beverage “made from 100 per cent local fruit” here in Niagara grossed an additional $7 million in profits last year, up from the $5.1 million increase seen in 2015-16, according to the LCBO.
In response to the growing demand for the product, the Brock University Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute has begun offering cider production courses.
Cole Ford, a cider producer from Shiny Apple Cider in Niagara-onthe-Lake, says the beverage appeals to a younger market, including students and young professionals.
“Our target market is the whitewine drinker that needs something different for the fall and winter … we try to appeal to the beer drinker as well,” Ford says.
He explains that cider offers a sweeter taste than wine typically does, and while the carbonation level is comparable to beer, it offers a different taste.
Steven Trussler, the institute’s senior lab instructor, says people from all over Canada, including professional sellers, apple growers and basement producers, have enrolled in the course, which started in April.
“It’s been a good mix of people who are coming together,” Trussler says. “(CCOVI) is the only Canadian producer who offers this course.”
Ford says in the five years he’s been producing cider he’s “absolutely” seen a growing demand for the product.
“We started out Shiny Apple, when I came on board, (producing ) 5,000 cases a year. Now we’re up to about three-quarters of a million litres,” Ford says. “I’m just happy to see that the industry is finally starting to get a little more recognition.”
Ontario cider sales have tripled in the last four years, with craft cider sales — almost one-third of the over-all sales — rising about 39 per cent in the 2016-17 year, per the LCBO’s website.
The site also says, “It’s expected that the category will continue to grow at a significant rate, especially Ontario craft cider made from 100 per cent local fruit.”
Trussler says the advantages of cider are that it’s a gluten-free, natural product.
“All kinds of factors come together to create the perfect storm.”
Ford says cider in Ontario has a low-alcohol content, rarely reaching seven per cent, and sometimes dipping as low as four per cent.
According to Trussler, CCOVI’s winery and grower partners are able to begin cider production under their winery manufacturing licences.
“As well, with CCOVI’s national reach we were in a position to support the industry across the country with the introduction of this course and our analytical support services,” he says.
Ford says he didn’t take any courses on cider production, but learned through online training and research.
“Mostly, it was just trying to apply my experience in the wine industry to apple juice, to cider, and that sort of thing,” he says.
But, Ford says he uses CCOVI’s services to test for “quality control.”
According Trussler, there are two main types of testing for cider. Chemical testing examines the product’s sweetness and acidity, whereas microbiological testing looks for contamination. Contamination is far more common in cider than in beer or wine, he says.
Ford has his own challenges with producing cider.
“Consistent quality is an issue with apples. They change dramatically throughout the season as you get them, so it’s very challenging to get a consistent product year-round,” Ford says. “Producers are forced to make a quality product, they have to be on top of demand from the consumer, and they have to be innovative to try and stay competitive.”