Quebec cider
Encyclopedia
Quebec cider is crafted in the apple-producing regions of Montérégie
, Eastern Townships
, Chaudière-Appalaches
, the Laurentides, Charlevoix
and Québec
, in Canada. The revival of cider is a relatively new phenomenon, since Quebec
's alcohol regulating body, the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux
began emitting permits to produce craft cider only in 1988. In 2008, some forty cider makers were producing more than a hundred apple-based alcoholic beverages.
goes to Louis Hébert
, apothecary
from Paris
and Quebec's first settler. He did so around 1617 on the site where Quebec City
was founded in 1608. A good number of the first French settlers to the colony were Normans
who brought over the apple cider craft. Sizable orchard
s will develop in the region of Quebec, particularly on the Île d'Orléans
island.
The Sulpicians, who settled on the Island of Montreal
in 1657, possessed, beginning in 1666, a little orchard inside the fenced garden of the seminary
on rue Notre-Dame
. A bigger orchard was planted on the side of the Mont Royal, in the middle of the 1670s. On this site, the mission de la Montagne where Marguerite Bourgeoys
had her school, they erected a fort, in 1685, where they were using two cider presses. In 1705, the production of cider was about thirty barrels, and part was sold outside the religious community.
In 1731, the orchards covered 90 arpent on the Island of Montreal, on the side of the mountain and around town. From 1731 to 1781, the surface area occupied by the orchards rose from 90 arpent. The common cultivars at the time were the Calville blanc, Calville rouge, Famous, Reinette, Bourassa
, Pomme blanche, Pomme grise of Montreal and Sauvageon. These cultivars have been supplanted by others since.
The British Conquest of 1760, confirmed by the cession of 1763
, brought along all kinds of changes in the habits of Quebecers. Great Britain
's protectionist trade policy, limiting exchanges within the British Empire, favoured the importation of alcohols from England
(whisky
, gin
) and Antilles
(rum
), and discouraged all the artisan
al productions of the inhabitants. Only beer, produced by industrialists from Great Britain (or of British origin), expanded significantly in the 19th century.
On August 15, 1807, in Le Canadien
of Quebec City
, there was an article in which the author deplored that more efforts were not made to encourage the cultivation of apples on Île d'Orléans and to export cider, which he judged "superior or at least equal to that of Europe and the United States". He suggested also that the production could serve to diminish the excessive consumption of rum, a "source of disastrous ruins in a lot of families."
The artisanal production of cider continued until the period of prohibition on alcohol in the middle of the 1910s. In April 1919, a great majority of Quebecers (78.62%) voted yes in a Quebec referendum
asking them if "beer, ciders, and light wines" should be allowed, as excluded from the list of prohibited alcoholic beverages. However, in 1920, a legislative omission rendered cider illegal in the territory of Quebec. Indeed, the Canadian Alcoholic Beverages Act which ended prohibition and created the monopoly of the Commission des liqueurs du Québec
, did not legislate on cider, which consequently found itself in a judicial void. It was only in 1970, half a century later, that the situation was corrected. During this period, cider continued to be produced by several apple growers, but they were not legally permitted to sell it.
When cider became legal again, Quebecers were served a cider produced industrially, which was disliked very much by many and gave it a bad reputation. Makers were unable to supply to the demand and inundated the market with products that had no maturity. A whole generation experienced the Grand Sec d'Orléans, which to many, evoked what is most undrinkable when it comes to alcohol. Sales declined after a few years, and cider, barely gotten out of its "dark age", was plunged back into it. From about one million gallons a year in 1971, the production dropped to 300 000 gallons per year in 1982. It is only at the end of the 1980s, when the first craft production permits were emitted by the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec, that Quebec cider was truly reborn, about the same time as beer and wine, for the same reason.
The ciders crafted by small cider makers then multiplied, often avoiding to use the word "cidre" on the bottle to avoid alarming the consumers. The first Quebec ice cider
was elaborated by Christian Barthomeuf in Dunham
in the Eastern Townships
during the winter of 1989-1990. The first bottles bear the "1990" millésime. Ten years later, cider makers obtained the authorization to name their products "cidre de glace" (ice cider). A regulation on cider was finally adopted by the National Assembly of Quebec
in November 2008.
, or the residual sugar content.
Cider is said to be light when it contains 7% of alcohol or less, strong when it contains 7% to 13%, and apéritif
when between 13% to 20%. Flavoured cider, perfumed with aromas of berries, honey
or maple
, generally contains less than 10% alcohol.
As it is with wine, cider can be still
(without bubble) or sparkling
(with bubbles).
Sparkling apple cider is elaborated either by injecting carbon dioxide
, in closed vats using the Charmat process
or the traditional champenoise
method. The result is a cider said to be semi-sparkling when in impregnated naturally with carbon dioxide, under low pressure (less than 2 atm
), carbonated semi-sparkling when impregnated artificially with carbon dioxide, also under low pressure. It is sparkling when impregnated naturally with carbon dioxide under a pressure between 3 to 5 atm and carbonated sparkling, if artificially impregnated with carbon dioxide under of the same pressure of 3 to 5 atm.
Apple mistelle is a cider obtained from a must
kept fresh, that is unfermented, to which alcohol is added.
Ice cider
, an innovation from Quebec, is elaborated by pressing apples naturally frozen by winter's cold. Similar to the late harvest of grapes, apples picked during winter allow for a must with a high sugar content, when water, turned into ice, is separated from the apples. This step is called the cryoconcentration of sugar. The final result, after the fermentation of the must, is a liqueur
-like and mellow liquid, containing between 9 to 13% of alcohol.
, Eastern Townships
, Chaudière-Appalaches
, the Laurentides, Charlevoix
, and Quebec
.
, Paula Red, Spartan
, Cortland
, Empire
, Vista Bella and Jersey Mac being among the most common .
Montérégie
Montérégie is an administrative region in southwest Québec. It includes the cities of Boucherville, Brossard, Granby, Longueuil, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Hyacinthe, Sorel-Tracy, and Vaudreuil-Dorion....
, Eastern Townships
Eastern Townships
The Eastern Townships is a tourist region and a former administrative region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. Its northern boundary roughly followed Logan's Line, the geologic boundary between the flat,...
, Chaudière-Appalaches
Chaudière-Appalaches
Chaudière-Appalaches is an administrative region in Quebec, Canada. It comprises most of what is historically known as the "Beauce" |the electoral district of Beauce]]). It is named for the Chaudière River and the Appalachian Mountains....
, the Laurentides, Charlevoix
Charlevoix
The Charlevoix region, located in Quebec, includes parts of the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River and the Laurentian Mountains region of the Canadian Shield...
and Québec
Capitale-Nationale
Capitale-Nationale is one of 17 administrative regions of Quebec, Canada. Quebec City, Quebec's centre of government, is located in this region. It has a land area of 18,638.7 km2...
, in Canada. The revival of cider is a relatively new phenomenon, since Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
's alcohol regulating body, the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux
Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux
The Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux is the board established by the government of Quebec to regulate the alcohol, lottery, publicity contests, gambling, racing, and combat sports industries...
began emitting permits to produce craft cider only in 1988. In 2008, some forty cider makers were producing more than a hundred apple-based alcoholic beverages.
History
The honour of planting the first apple tree in the history of QuebecHistory of Quebec
Quebec has played a special role in Canadian history; it is the site where French settlers founded the colony of Canada in the 17th and 18th centuries.-Paleoindian Era :...
goes to Louis Hébert
Louis Hébert
Louis Hébert is widely considered to be the first Canadian apothecary as well as the first European to farm in Canada. He was born around 1575 at 129 de la rue Saint-Honoré in Paris to Nicolas Hébert and Jacqueline Pajot...
, apothecary
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
from Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Quebec's first settler. He did so around 1617 on the site where Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
was founded in 1608. A good number of the first French settlers to the colony were Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
who brought over the apple cider craft. Sizable orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s will develop in the region of Quebec, particularly on the Île d'Orléans
Île d'Orléans
Île d'Orléans is located in the Saint Lawrence River about east of downtown Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The island was one of the first parts of the province to be colonized by the French, and a large percentage of French Canadians can trace ancestry to early residents of the island...
island.
The Sulpicians, who settled on the Island of Montreal
Island of Montreal
The Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies....
in 1657, possessed, beginning in 1666, a little orchard inside the fenced garden of the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
on rue Notre-Dame
Notre-Dame Street
Notre-Dame Street is a historic east-west street located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It runs parallel to the Saint Lawrence River, from the eastern tip of the island to Lachine . In French, it is known as rue Notre-Dame....
. A bigger orchard was planted on the side of the Mont Royal, in the middle of the 1670s. On this site, the mission de la Montagne where Marguerite Bourgeoys
Marguerite Bourgeoys
Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys was the founder of the Congregation of Notre Dame.- Biography :...
had her school, they erected a fort, in 1685, where they were using two cider presses. In 1705, the production of cider was about thirty barrels, and part was sold outside the religious community.
In 1731, the orchards covered 90 arpent on the Island of Montreal, on the side of the mountain and around town. From 1731 to 1781, the surface area occupied by the orchards rose from 90 arpent. The common cultivars at the time were the Calville blanc, Calville rouge, Famous, Reinette, Bourassa
Bourassa
Bourassa may refer to:Electoral districts* Bourassa , federal electoral district in Quebec* Bourassa , in Quebec* Bourassa-Sauvé , in QuebecPeople...
, Pomme blanche, Pomme grise of Montreal and Sauvageon. These cultivars have been supplanted by others since.
The British Conquest of 1760, confirmed by the cession of 1763
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
, brought along all kinds of changes in the habits of Quebecers. Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
's protectionist trade policy, limiting exchanges within the British Empire, favoured the importation of alcohols from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
, gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
) and Antilles
Antilles
The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...
(rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
), and discouraged all the artisan
Artisan
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools...
al productions of the inhabitants. Only beer, produced by industrialists from Great Britain (or of British origin), expanded significantly in the 19th century.
On August 15, 1807, in Le Canadien
Le Canadien
Le Canadien was a French language newspaper published in Lower Canada from November 22, 1806 to March 14, 1810. Its motto was: "Nos institutions, notre langue et nos droits"...
of Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, there was an article in which the author deplored that more efforts were not made to encourage the cultivation of apples on Île d'Orléans and to export cider, which he judged "superior or at least equal to that of Europe and the United States". He suggested also that the production could serve to diminish the excessive consumption of rum, a "source of disastrous ruins in a lot of families."
The artisanal production of cider continued until the period of prohibition on alcohol in the middle of the 1910s. In April 1919, a great majority of Quebecers (78.62%) voted yes in a Quebec referendum
Quebec referendum on the prohibition of alcohol
The Quebec referendum on the prohibition of alcohol, held on April 10, 1919, considered the legalization of the sale of beer, cider and wine in the territory of Quebec, Canada...
asking them if "beer, ciders, and light wines" should be allowed, as excluded from the list of prohibited alcoholic beverages. However, in 1920, a legislative omission rendered cider illegal in the territory of Quebec. Indeed, the Canadian Alcoholic Beverages Act which ended prohibition and created the monopoly of the Commission des liqueurs du Québec
Société des alcools du Québec
The Société des alcools du Québec , often abbreviated and referred to as SAQ, is a provincial Crown corporation in Quebec.-Organization:...
, did not legislate on cider, which consequently found itself in a judicial void. It was only in 1970, half a century later, that the situation was corrected. During this period, cider continued to be produced by several apple growers, but they were not legally permitted to sell it.
When cider became legal again, Quebecers were served a cider produced industrially, which was disliked very much by many and gave it a bad reputation. Makers were unable to supply to the demand and inundated the market with products that had no maturity. A whole generation experienced the Grand Sec d'Orléans, which to many, evoked what is most undrinkable when it comes to alcohol. Sales declined after a few years, and cider, barely gotten out of its "dark age", was plunged back into it. From about one million gallons a year in 1971, the production dropped to 300 000 gallons per year in 1982. It is only at the end of the 1980s, when the first craft production permits were emitted by the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec, that Quebec cider was truly reborn, about the same time as beer and wine, for the same reason.
The ciders crafted by small cider makers then multiplied, often avoiding to use the word "cidre" on the bottle to avoid alarming the consumers. The first Quebec ice cider
Ice cider
Ice cider is the cider equivalent of ice wine: a fermented beverage made from the frozen juice of apples. There are two main approaches to producing ice cider: cryoconcentration and cryoextraction...
was elaborated by Christian Barthomeuf in Dunham
Dunham, Quebec
Dunham is a city in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 3,396.-Population:Population trend-Language:Mother tongue language ...
in the Eastern Townships
Eastern Townships
The Eastern Townships is a tourist region and a former administrative region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. Its northern boundary roughly followed Logan's Line, the geologic boundary between the flat,...
during the winter of 1989-1990. The first bottles bear the "1990" millésime. Ten years later, cider makers obtained the authorization to name their products "cidre de glace" (ice cider). A regulation on cider was finally adopted by the National Assembly of Quebec
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
in November 2008.
Types
Quebec cider makers prepare various types of ciders, which are categorized according to the elaboration method, the percentage of alcohol, the effervescenceEffervescence (chemistry)
Effervescence is the escape of gas from an aqueous solution and the foaming or fizzing that results from a release of the gas. The word effervescence is derived from the Latin verb fervere preceded by the adverb ex, which means to boil...
, or the residual sugar content.
Cider is said to be light when it contains 7% of alcohol or less, strong when it contains 7% to 13%, and apéritif
Aperitif
Apéritifs and digestifs are alcoholic drinks that are normally served with meals.-Apéritifs:An apéritif is usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. This contrasts with digestifs, which are served after a meal for the purpose of aiding digestion...
when between 13% to 20%. Flavoured cider, perfumed with aromas of berries, honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
or maple
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum is a species of maple native to the hardwood forests of northeastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario, and south to Georgia and Texas...
, generally contains less than 10% alcohol.
As it is with wine, cider can be still
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
(without bubble) or sparkling
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
(with bubbles).
Sparkling apple cider is elaborated either by injecting carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
, in closed vats using the Charmat process
Sparkling wine production
There are four main methods of sparkling wine production. The first is simple injection of carbon dioxide , the process used in soft drinks, but this produces big bubbles that dissipate quickly in the glass. The second is the Metodo Italiano – Charmat process, in which the wine undergoes a...
or the traditional champenoise
Sparkling wine production
There are four main methods of sparkling wine production. The first is simple injection of carbon dioxide , the process used in soft drinks, but this produces big bubbles that dissipate quickly in the glass. The second is the Metodo Italiano – Charmat process, in which the wine undergoes a...
method. The result is a cider said to be semi-sparkling when in impregnated naturally with carbon dioxide, under low pressure (less than 2 atm
Atmosphere (unit)
The standard atmosphere is an international reference pressure defined as 101325 Pa and formerly used as unit of pressure. For practical purposes it has been replaced by the bar which is 105 Pa...
), carbonated semi-sparkling when impregnated artificially with carbon dioxide, also under low pressure. It is sparkling when impregnated naturally with carbon dioxide under a pressure between 3 to 5 atm and carbonated sparkling, if artificially impregnated with carbon dioxide under of the same pressure of 3 to 5 atm.
Apple mistelle is a cider obtained from a must
Must
Must is freshly pressed fruit juice that contains the skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit. The solid portion of the must is called pomace; it typically makes up 7%–23% of the total weight of the must. Making must is the first step in winemaking...
kept fresh, that is unfermented, to which alcohol is added.
Ice cider
Ice cider
Ice cider is the cider equivalent of ice wine: a fermented beverage made from the frozen juice of apples. There are two main approaches to producing ice cider: cryoconcentration and cryoextraction...
, an innovation from Quebec, is elaborated by pressing apples naturally frozen by winter's cold. Similar to the late harvest of grapes, apples picked during winter allow for a must with a high sugar content, when water, turned into ice, is separated from the apples. This step is called the cryoconcentration of sugar. The final result, after the fermentation of the must, is a liqueur
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
-like and mellow liquid, containing between 9 to 13% of alcohol.
Regions
Quebec counts six cider-producing regions, which correspond more or less with its apple-producing regions: the MontérégieMontérégie
Montérégie is an administrative region in southwest Québec. It includes the cities of Boucherville, Brossard, Granby, Longueuil, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Hyacinthe, Sorel-Tracy, and Vaudreuil-Dorion....
, Eastern Townships
Eastern Townships
The Eastern Townships is a tourist region and a former administrative region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. Its northern boundary roughly followed Logan's Line, the geologic boundary between the flat,...
, Chaudière-Appalaches
Chaudière-Appalaches
Chaudière-Appalaches is an administrative region in Quebec, Canada. It comprises most of what is historically known as the "Beauce" |the electoral district of Beauce]]). It is named for the Chaudière River and the Appalachian Mountains....
, the Laurentides, Charlevoix
Charlevoix
The Charlevoix region, located in Quebec, includes parts of the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River and the Laurentian Mountains region of the Canadian Shield...
, and Quebec
Capitale-Nationale
Capitale-Nationale is one of 17 administrative regions of Quebec, Canada. Quebec City, Quebec's centre of government, is located in this region. It has a land area of 18,638.7 km2...
.
Apples
The culture of apples is well-developed in Quebec, which produces in quantity several cultivars of apples, the McIntoshMcIntosh
The McIntosh Red is an apple cultivar with red and green skin, a tart flavor, and tender white flesh. It ripens in late September....
, Paula Red, Spartan
Spartan (apple)
The Spartan apple is an apple cultivar developed by Dr. R.C Palmer and introduced in 1936 from the Federal Agriculture Research Station in Summerland, British Columbia, now known as the Pacific Agri-food Research Centre - Summerland. The Spartan is notable for being the first new breed of apple...
, Cortland
Cortland (apple)
Cortland is a cultivar of apple.After the many attributes of McIntosh were discovered, plant breeders began crossing it with other varieties to enhance its traits. One of the earliest was the Cortland, combined with the Ben Davis variety...
, Empire
Empire (apple)
Empire is the name of a clonally-propagated cultivar of apple derived from a seed grown in 1945 by Lester C. Anderson, a Cornell University fruit nutritionist who conducted open pollination research on his various orchards.In 1945, under the direction of A. J...
, Vista Bella and Jersey Mac being among the most common .