Ice cider facts for kids
Ice cider (also known as apple icewine or cidre de glace in French; sold as ice apple wine in the United States) is the cider equivalent of ice wine: a fermented beverage made from the juice of frozen apples.
Ice cider was originally created in Quebec, made possible by the region's naturally cold temperatures. It is now also produced in other regions where the climate reaches freezing temperatures but also is suitable for apples.
History
Ice cider was first created in Quebec when Christian Barthomeuf, a winemaker from Dunham, considered the "father of ice cider", created a recipe in 1989 inspired by the ice wines of Germany. Quebec's climate is much more suited to growing apples than grapes, and the same techniques can be applied to both fruits. In 1994, at Hemmingford in Montérégie, Barthomeuf worked with Francois Pouliot to refine and develop ice cider in much larger volumes, at the cidery La Face Cachée de la Pomme.
The first bottle sold under the official designation ice cider, from La Ciderie St.-Nicholas, appeared in a Quebec government-run liquor store, the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) in 1999. This was also the first year the authorities allowed the use of the term ice cider, having not allowed it earlier out of concern it would be confused with traditional cider. Today, there are over 60 producers of ice cider. This has inspired producers elsewhere, and ice cider production can now be found in the Western Canada, Europe, and the United States. Expansion initially occurred in regions bordering Quebec, including the province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Vermont. In 2008, a provincial regulation by the Quebec government defined the conditions of production, and in December 2014, Quebec ice cider obtained a protected appellation (IGP), which establishes international rules and requirements on production.
The Quebec winter allows apples to freeze in a natural manner that could then be used for ice cider. However, ice cider requires four to five times as many apples as it would require to produce the same quantity of regular cider. Currently, there are around 50 producers of ice cider in Quebec. The climate requirements have made expansion of production occur slowly, but it is beginning to be produced around the world. The U.S. state of Vermont is one area in particular where cider production is increasing. The continued expansion of ice cider around the world has resulted in the industry winning a number of prizes. In 2007, La Fundacion de la Sidra in Spain awarded Christian Barthomeuf their top prize for inventing ice cider and to La Face Cachee de la Pomme for contributing to the development and commercialization in Quebec and around the world.
Production
Ice cider can be made from two processes that concentrate the natural sugars within an apple through the use of cold temperatures: cryoconcentration and cryoextraction. The most common apples used for the production of ice cider are McIntosh, Cortland, Empire, and Spartan. Due to cryoextraction requiring the apples to remain on the branches later than they are typically picked, new breeds of apple have been developed specifically for the production of ice cider.
The process of cryoconcentration resembles slightly the process indigenous Canadians realized occurred when maple syrup could be concentrated by the cold. After letting it freeze, a piece would be broken off which would be more concentrated. The process of cryoextraction is inspired directly from the production of ice wine.
Characteristics
Ice cider is typically served as an apéritif before a meal or along with a cheese plate or dessert after a meal.
