Quebec cider facts for kids

Quebec cider is a special drink made from apples in different parts of Quebec, Canada. You can find it in places like Montérégie, the Eastern Townships, Chaudière-Appalaches, the Laurentides, Charlevoix, and Capitale-Nationale. Making cider became popular again not too long ago. In 1988, the group that controls alcohol in Quebec, called the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux, started giving out permits to make craft cider. By 2008, about 40 different cider makers were creating more than 100 kinds of apple drinks!

The Story of Quebec Cider

Early Apple Trees in Quebec

The very first apple tree in Quebec City was planted around 1617. A man named Louis Hébert, who was a pharmacist from Paris, planted it. He was one of the first settlers in New France. Many of the first French settlers came from a region in France called Normandy. They knew how to make apple cider and brought that skill with them. Large apple farms, called orchards, grew in New France, especially on Île d'Orléans.

Cider Making in Montreal

In 1657, a group of priests called the Sulpicians settled on the Island of Montreal. By 1666, they had a small apple orchard in their garden. They planted an even bigger orchard on the side of Mount Royal in the 1670s. At this spot, they built a fort in 1685. They even had two cider presses there! By 1705, they were making about 30 barrels of cider. Some of this cider was sold outside their religious community.

Apple Farms Grow Bigger

By 1731, apple orchards covered about 90 arpents (which is like 76 acres) on the Island of Montreal. These farms were on the mountain side and around the town. From 1731 to 1781, the area covered by orchards grew a lot. It went from 90 to 402 arpent (about 340 acres)! Some common types of apples grown back then were the Calville blanc, Calville rouge, Famous, Reinette, Bourassa, Pomme blanche, Pomme grise of Montreal, and Sauvageon. Today, different kinds of apples are grown.

Changes After the British Conquest

In 1760, the British took control of Quebec. This changed many things for the French Canadians. Great Britain had rules that favored trade within its own empire. This meant more alcohol like whisky, gin, and rum came from England and the Caribbean. It made it harder for local people to make their own drinks. Only beer, made by British companies, grew a lot in the 1800s.

In 1807, an article in a Quebec City newspaper called Le Canadien talked about cider. The writer wished more people would grow apples on Île d'Orléans to make cider. They thought Quebec cider was as good as cider from Europe or the United States. The article also suggested that making more cider could help people drink less rum.

Prohibition and Legal Challenges

People continued to make cider at home until the 1910s. This was when a time called Prohibition started, making alcohol illegal. In April 1919, most Quebecers (about 78%) voted to allow "beer, ciders, and light wines." However, in 1920, a mistake in the law made cider illegal in Quebec. The Canadian Alcoholic Beverages Act ended Prohibition and created a government group to control alcohol sales. But it didn't mention cider, so cider was left in a legal "no-man's land."

It took 50 years for this to be fixed! In 1970, cider finally became legal again. During those years, many apple growers still made cider, but they couldn't sell it legally.

Cider's Comeback

When cider became legal again, the first ciders sold were made in factories. Many people didn't like them, and this gave cider a bad name. The makers couldn't keep up with demand and sold products that weren't ready. Many people remembered a bad cider called the Grand Sec d'Orléans. Sales dropped a lot. From about 1 million imperial gallons a year in 1971, production fell to 300,000 imperial gallons by 1982.

Cider truly came back to life in the late 1980s. This was when the government started giving permits for small, craft cider makers. It was a bit like how craft beer and wine became popular again at the same time.

Small cider makers started making many new kinds of ciders. Often, they didn't even use the word "cidre" (cider) on the bottle. They wanted to avoid reminding people of the bad ciders from before. The first Quebec ice cider was made by Christian Barthomeuf in Dunham during the winter of 1989–1990. Ten years later, cider makers were allowed to call their products cidre de glace (ice cider). Finally, in November 2008, the government of Quebec passed a rule specifically about cider.

Different Kinds of Quebec Cider

Quebec cider makers create many different types of ciders. They are grouped by how they are made, how much alcohol they have, if they have bubbles, or how sweet they are.

Alcohol Content

• Light cider has 7% alcohol or less.
• Strong cider has between 7% and 13% alcohol.
• Apéritif cider has between 13% and 20% alcohol. This kind is often served before a meal.
• Flavoured cider has added tastes like berries, honey, or maple. These usually have less than 10% alcohol.

Bubbles or No Bubbles

Just like wine, cider can be still (without bubbles) or sparkling (with bubbles).

Sparkling apple cider can be made in a few ways:

• By adding carbon dioxide gas.
• By using special tanks called closed vats (Charmat process).
• By using the traditional champenoise method, like champagne.

Cider is called semi-sparkling if it naturally gets a few bubbles under low pressure. It's carbonated semi-sparkling if bubbles are added artificially under low pressure. It's sparkling if it naturally gets many bubbles under higher pressure. It's carbonated sparkling if bubbles are added artificially under the same higher pressure.

Apple Mistelle

Apple mistelle is a type of cider made from fresh, unfermented apple juice. Alcohol is added to it.

Ice Cider: A Quebec Invention

Ice cider is a special drink invented in Quebec. It's made by pressing apples that have frozen naturally in the cold winter. When apples freeze, the water in them turns to ice. This separates the water from the sugar, making the apple juice very sweet. This process is called cryoconcentration of sugar. After the sweet juice ferments, the result is a smooth, liqueur-like drink. It usually has between 9% and 13% alcohol.

Where Quebec Cider is Made

Quebec has six main regions where cider is produced. These areas are also where most of the apples are grown:

• The Montérégie
• The Eastern Townships
• Chaudière-Appalaches
• The Laurentides
• Charlevoix
• Capitale-Nationale

Apples Used for Cider

Apple farming is very strong in Quebec. Many different kinds of apples are grown there in large amounts. Some of the most common types include the McIntosh, Paula Red, Spartan, Cortland, Empire, Vista Bella, and Jersey Mac. These apples are perfect for making delicious Quebec cider!