May Craft Beer Club

The Cider Takeover!

This is another edition of the beer club I’ve been wanting to do for a long time and releasing it in line with the first long weekend of Summer felt like an ideal time for it. Now beers aren’t about to be dethroned by cider any time soon, but let this pack provide some insight into why ciders deserve a place in your summer drink roster.

Malt is versatile in its ability to range in style from pale to dark, and we’ve covered all the many beers that can be made within that spectrum. Malt carries an inherent weight though, and I’m sure we’ve all felt that bloating effect that comes in around beer number four, regardless of if it’s a lager or stout.

With cider, were talking fermentation of fruit sugars rather than grain sugars, making cider production almost more in line with winemaking than brewing! So, excuse me if I drift into wine geek mode as we go through these entries. These cans are fresh and light in body without compromising on alcohol and range from dry to very slightly sweet (for this pack at least, many ciders on the market can be quite sweet).

We’re doing a winter stock blowout this weekend in the store!  Over fifty items have been marked as 10% off to clear out some older stock and make room for new summer favourites!  Look for the little red stickers and stock up before we sell out!

The beer club releases on the third Saturday every month and is available through the month. There is no sign up for our beer club, just drop by the store any time we’re open and pick up a pack!  The price will be between $20-$24.

La Pina Picante

Pineapple Habenero Cider

Sheepdog Brewing X SunnyCider

La Pina Picante returns! This cider made in collaboration between our most crafty local craft brewery and Sunny Cider in Calgary mashes up the crunchy fruit flavour we know from apple with tropicality and a pinch of heat. This combination results in a very clear evolution on the palate. Sweet pineapple grabs your attention first but quickly fades into the dryness of apple, then habanero heat kicks in at the back of the throat. This prompts you to take another sip to cool that heat with the sweet pineapple and the cycle continues until the glass is empty.  Simple, dependable. Pairing this with fish tacos or nachos is a no brainer way to take this to the next level.

$5.5

Apples to Oranges

Apple & Tangerine Cider

Core Values Cider Co. X The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company

Okay so we covered a brewery collab with a cidery, now we offer a cidery collab with a brewery!  What’s the difference?  Well, it’s more apples to apples than apples to oranges.  Jokes aside, this cider is awesome.  I was a little unsure of what orange and apple would be like together, but thats because I was thinking oranges.  Despite the name this isn’t actually orange, it’s tangerine.  This sweeter, less sour member of the citrus fruits pairs beautifully with the freshness of apple, creating something that is  more than the sum of it’s parts.  Fresh, juicy, crisp, bright, and ever so slightly sharp.

$6

Treat Yo’ Self

Champagne Cider

Manual Labour Brewing

When it comes to fermenting, one of the most important factors is what type of yeast is used.  Not all yeasts are created equally, and some have earned a reputation.  Champagne yeast for example is noted for its higher metabolism, eating more sugar and creating more alcohol and CO2.  It is also noted for its clean flavours.  Manual Labour has selected this yeast for their Champagne Cider.  This cider is dry and carries mellow acidity.  The aroma carries that wine yeast note alongside apple, while on the palate a creamy white peach character comes up.  Big showy bubbles which fade quickly on the palate.  Champagne on a cider budget!

$7

Tawse

Cider

Tawse Winery

Remember when I mentioned that cider making has more in line with winemaking than brewing?  We'll here’s my proof to back up that claim.  Tawse Winery from Ontario has become one of my favourites from the Niagara area, and when searching for ciders for this pack their name came up.  It makes a lot of sense for wineries to produce ciders as well, on top of having the knowledge, they’ve also got all the equipment needed.  Often those fermenters are only being used once per year for the grape harvest, so why not put them to use on some other fruits as well?  Because this is an addition to their wine portfolio, there’s not really a desire to reinvent the wheel here. This is a classic styled, medium dry cider, with a mostly fruity, slightly musty aroma, and a clean palate with plenty of fizz.  That fizziness makes me think of using this in place of prosecco in things like a mimosa or aperol spritz.  A fun way to put a twist on those classic drinks, and dial the alcohol back.

$5