Quebec cider is crafted in the apple-producing regions of Montérégie,

Eastern Townships The Eastern Townships (french: Cantons de l'Est) is an historical administrative region in southeastern Quebec, Canada. It lies between the St. Lawrence Lowlands and the American border, and extends from Granby in the southwest, to Drummondv ...

Chaudière-Appalaches Chaudière-Appalaches () is an administrative region in Quebec, Canada. It comprises most of what is historically known as the "Beauce" (french: La Beauce; compare with the electoral district of Beauce). It is named for the Chaudière River and ...

, the Laurentides, Charlevoix and Capitale-Nationale, 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 issuing permits to produce craft cider only in 1988. In 2008, some 40 cider makers were producing more than 100 apple-based alcoholic beverages.

History

The honour of planting the first apple tree in the history of Quebec goes to

Louis Hébert Louis Hébert (c. 1575 – 25 January 1627) is widely considered the first European apothecary in the region that would later become Canada, as well as the first European to farm in said region. He was born around 1575 at 129 de la rue Saint ...

, apothecary from Paris and New France'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 orchards developed in the region of New France, particularly on Île d'Orléans. The Sulpicians, who settled on the

Island of Montreal The Island of Montreal (french: Île de Montréal) is a large island in southwestern Quebec, Canada, that is the site of a number of municipalities including most of the city of Montreal and is the most populous island in Canada. It is the main ...

in 1657, possessed, beginning in 1666, a little orchard inside the fenced garden of the seminary on Notre-Dame Street. A bigger orchard was planted on the side of Mount Royal, in the mid-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 30 barrels, and part was sold outside the religious community. In 1731, the orchards covered 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 . The common cultivars at the time were the

Calville blanc Calville was a community in Humboldt County, California, located north of Arcata, at an elevation of 154 feet (47 m). It is centered on Sutter Road and Central Avenue, and became part of the large unincorporated community of McKinleyville McKi ...

Calville rouge Calville was a community in Humboldt County, California, located north of Arcata, at an elevation of 154 feet (47 m). It is centered on Sutter Road and Central Avenue, and became part of the large unincorporated community of McKinleyville McKi ...

Famous Famous may refer to: Companies * Famous Brands, a South African restaurant franchisor * Famous Footwear, an American retail store chain * Famous Music, the music publishing division of Paramount Pictures * Famous Studios, the animation division ...

Reinette Reinette ( French for ''Little Queen''), often ''Rennet'' in English, and popular in Italian cuisine as ''Renetta'', is the name of a number of apple cultivars. Cultivars * Reine des reinettes * Reine des Reinettes Rouge, diploid * Reinette à ...

, Bourassa,

Pomme blanche ''Psoralea esculenta'', common name prairie turnip or timpsula, is an herbaceous perennial plant native to prairies and dry woodlands of central North America, which bears a starchy tuberous root edible as a root vegetable. The plant is also k ...

, Pomme grise of Montreal and Sauvageon. These cultivars have been supplanted by others since. The

British Conquest The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...

of 1760, confirmed by the cession of 1763, brought along all kinds of changes in the habits of French Canadians. Great Britain's protectionist trade policy, limiting exchanges within the British Empire, favoured the importation of alcohols from England ( whisky,

gin Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its flavour from juniper berries (''Juniperus communis''). Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in southern Italy, Flanders and the Ne ...

) and Antilles ( rum), and discouraged all the artisanal 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'' () 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"'' (Our institutions, our language, our rights). It was released ...

'' 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.ACAQ.
Historique
", in the site of the ''Association des cidriculteurs artisans du Québec'', retrieved November 25, 2008 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 a year in 1971, the production dropped to per year in 1982. It was only at the end of the 1980s when the first craft production permits were issued 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 (also known as apple icewine or ''cidre de glace'' in French language, 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. Similar to ice ...

was crafted by

Christian Barthomeuf Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

in Dunham in the

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.

Types

Quebec cider makers prepare various types of ciders, which are categorized according to the production method, the percentage of alcohol, the effervescence, or the residual sugar content.SAQ.
Terroirs du Québec. Pommes
" (apples), in ''SAQ.com'', retrieved October 18, 2008. 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 Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

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 crafted either by injecting carbon dioxide, in ''closed vats'' using the

Charmat process Sparkling wine production is the method of winemaking used to produce sparkling wine. The oldest known production of sparkling wine took place in 1531 with the ''ancestral method''. Pressure and terminology In popular parlance and also in the ...

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 ), ''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 and ''carbonated sparkling'', if artificially impregnated with carbon dioxide under of the same pressure of . Apple mistelle is a cider obtained from a

must Must (from the Latin ''vinum mustum'', "young wine") is freshly crushed fruit juice (usually grape juice) that contains the skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit. The solid portion of the must is called pomace and typically makes up 7–23% of t ...

kept fresh, that is unfermented, to which alcohol is added.

Ice cider Ice cider (also known as apple icewine or ''cidre de glace'' in French language, 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. Similar to ice ...

, an innovation from Quebec, is crafted 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 A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond ...

-like and mellow liquid, containing between 9 and 13% of alcohol.

Regions

Quebec counts six cider-producing regions, which correspond more or less with its apple-producing regions: the Montérégie,

, the Laurentides, Charlevoix, and Capitale-Nationale.

Apples

Cultivation of apples is well developed in Quebec, which produces in quantity several cultivars of apples, the McIntosh,

Paula Red Paula Red (or Paulared) is an apple cultivar that arose as a seedling next to an orchard of McIntosh trees. It ripens late in the summer. Appearance and flavor Paulared apples are bright red with some yellow and tan spots; the skin often has a ...

, Spartan, Cortland, Empire, Vista Bella and Jersey Mac being among the most common.FPPQ.
Nos pommes
", in the site of ''La Fédération des producteurs de pommes du Québec'', retrieved October 18, 2008

Notes

References

* Martin, Paul-Louis (2002). ''Les fruits du Québec. Histoire et traditions des douceurs de la table'', Sillery: Septentrion, 219 p. ()
preview
. * Vachon, Jean (1997). ''Les pommes et les cidres du Québec'', Québec: Éditions Montcalm, 48 p. * Lachapelle-Lemieux, Suzanne (1972). ''Le cidre de chez nous'', Rougemont: Cidrerie du Québec, 64 p. * SAQ.
Quebec terroirs. Apples
, in ''SAQ.com'', 2008. * Prévost, Robert, Suzanne Gagné and Michel Phaneuf (1986). ''L'histoire de l'alcool au Québec'', Montréal: Société des alcools du Québec, 239 p. ().

External links

Confrérie des chevaliers du cidre du Québec

Association des cidriculteurs artisans du Québec
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quebec Cider Cuisine of Quebec Cider Canadian alcoholic drinks Canadian drinks Canadian cuisine Food and drink in Quebec Alcohol in Quebec