VICTORIA, BC — "The apples coming from this orchard - are in that glass right now,” said Sea Cider Farm owner Kristen Needham as she filled a glass full of cider.
Every fall, Sea Cider Farm & Cider House in Victoria B.C. does apple alchemy — transforming the bitter fruit they grow in their orchard into something better.
“Cider apple varieties are so different from the apples that we pluck off the tree to eat ourselves, because a lot of the best cider varieties you would not want to eat?” asked Evening’s Saint Bryan while sampling ciders with Needham.
“Absolutely no. They're terrible, they're inedible. But they make for exceptional cider!” Needham laughed.
Needham's family farm with a view of the Salish Sea has been growing many varieties of organic apples (and making them into cider) since 2004.
“When we started out, it was really with the idea that we wanted to change the way that people thought about cider,” she said.
Sea Cider makes dozens of ciders, including an alcohol-free Temperance Series, and a blend made from the surplus apples the community drops of at the farm every fall that she calls her "Crowdsourced Cider." When a spicy limited release called Witches Broom gets bottled, it's a sure sign autumn has arrived, according to head cider maker Molly Crandles.
"Witches Broom is our favorite fall seasonal release,” said Crandles. “It has cinnamon nutmeg allspice and ginger."
The fermenting tanks are also part of the farm family — each tank is named for the folks making the cider. Sea cider also offers behind the scenes tours and a cafe with a seasonal menu that includes gluten free selections, all dishes that pair perfectly with cider.
Plenty of reasons to settle in and raise a toast to the hard work these apples do every autumn.
Another Victoria destination with unique drinks is Macaloney's Island Distillery, where they make the world's first sugar kelp-infused whiskey.
The peat comes from Washington state, the seaweed is harvested from pristine B.C. waters, then roasted and infused into the whiskey. They can't keep this Sugar Kelp Infused Peated Whiskey on the shelves here, it flies out the door as soon as it goes from barrel to bottle. But if you stop by for a tasting and a tour, you just might score a pour of this sea-inspired spirit.
Sponsored by Destination Greater Victoria.
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