At the Summerland Heritage Cider Company, Ted Vollo and Lauren Wilson are busy putting the final touches on this year’s production.
In B.C., cider has been around for a long time, but true craft cider has only just taken off recently. Home brewers have turned into small commercial operators and now a couple of dozen work all over B.C.
Down the valley in Oliver, the owners of a cidery called Howling Moon have gone rogue.
“We’re going the opposite of most of the people here in the Okanagan,” said Nik Durisek with Howling Moon.
In place of three acres of grapes, they have planted 30 varieties of cider apples.
Howling Moon has doubled in size almost every year its been open. Nik and Kate Durisek plan to be bottling 25,000 litres this year.
“We’re seeing our neighbours and they’re just throwing their apples out,” said Kate. “So there was a lot of waste going on and I thought there’s a potential here to use these crops.”
Right now, just a small fraction of the apples grown in B.C. are suitable to be used in cider and getting more crops in the ground means more options for cider producers.
It’s perfect compliment for tourists looking to try something different.