Celebrate B.C. cider week

Mid-August is a perfect time to celebrate all things cider. It’s hot outside, you need something refreshing, bubbly, and fruity.

B.C.’s local cider producers, along with the NorthWest Cider Association, have an adapted version of B.C. Cider Week to cider lovers, full of virtual, curbside, and socially distanced events. The “week” began on Aug. 6, and runs until Aug. 16.

There is plenty of time left to enjoy safe cidering with these suggestions from the organizers:

• Pair your takeout dinner with a curbside cider pick up
• Try pairing cheeses and ciders at home
• Attend an online cider cocktail class or cider maker interview
• Find a cider trail here and plan a safe visit.

There are many types of cider to choose from, generally from cider apples that, when fermented, can spark the same discussions we may have about wine.

• Do you detect tannin?
• Is it dry, semi-dry, or sweet? How would you describe the aromas, colour, body, mouthfeel, and balance of flavours?
• Is it bittersweet or bittersharp? These two British terms will surely impress your local cider artist.

Ciders also come in a variety of sizes, from cans all the way to magnums for celebratory occasions instead sparkling wine, and can be infused or flavoured with other fruits, tea, coffee, chocolate, you name it. Pears, cherries, peaches and even pineapples can be turned into ciders.

With all of these options, what is farm-crafted cider, the drink we are celebrating, according to the B.C. Cider Association?

• It must be at least 95% juice content not from concentrate
• Not diluted with water
• Made in small batches by cider artisans with a long fermentation
• Should be made on the same farm where the apples are grown.

Other than enjoying it on a hot day, here are some pairing suggestions.

Just about any good pork sausage, roast pork dish, or pulled pork will pair well with cider. Think about pork chops and applesauce, only enjoy the apples as a drink.

Ask for an English-style cider, then pair it with some English cheeses such as cheddar, a crumbly Cheshire cheese, or a Lancashire. Try goat cheese infused or topped with cranberries, roasted nuts, or your favourite herb on top of a savoury cracker. The tang of the goat cheese pairs with the tang of a cider, while the cider cuts through the fattiness.

Spicy Asian dishes or curries pair well with drier ciders.

But if you wish for something sweeter, ciders with some sweetness are delightful with fruit salad or fruit crumbles, and it’s certainly the season for it.

Find B.C. Cider Week events at https://www.facebook.com/nwcider/. https://www.bcciderweek.org/

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.