Having recently had a bout of seasonal allergies that put any cold to shame, I have been told by my naturopath to lay off the gluten for awhile.聽
Insert eye roll. Lay off gluten? Me? Bread, pasta, crackers, beer? Not to mention the amount of chuckling I have done at this gluten-free craze which I had deemed no more than a fad, and been pretty vocal about it.
Excuse me while I remove my foot from my mouth.
I cut out gluten and the allergies have subsided, like magic.
So naturally I have been on a hunt for some new summer suds. I鈥檒l get back to beer in a few months and enjoy some local options from the likes of A Frame Brewing Co., Backcountry Brewing and Howe Sound Brewing, but until then, my new tipple? Cider!
There are a number of great ciders on the market including Broken Ladder available at the downtown liquor store, but when I heard that there was a cidery soon to open in Ted Town, I had to talk to the man in charge. Rumour has it there are one or two more in the pipe, more on that in a future article.
Tom Hackett and a few partners are going to be opening the doors to Britannia Beach Cider Co. a little later on this summer. What was Britannia鈥檚 loss is our gain and we will soon have adult apple juice to add to our craft beverage culture here in town.
Hackett used to live in 麻豆社国产but has been training at Oregon State University in chemistry and cider making in preparation to open his business. His partner, Rob Weys, recently ran for mayor and another partner is Boyd Folkard.
Tom will be making dry ciders with honest flavours. Boutique with full pronounced apple flavour. There will also be seasonal offerings such as cranberry and rhubarb.
鈥淭he beer industry is exploding,鈥� says Hackett.聽
He feels that cider is poised to do the same with the staying trend of gluten-free living and what we are currently seeing in the U.S. According to Hackett, there is an event every year called Cider Con that moves around from city to city. Sounds like cider producers are very supportive of one another, not unlike the craft beer world, and that there is a lot of growth in this sector south of the border.聽
The guys will be offering a lounge environment where one will be able to enjoy their craft cider.聽
Fifty per cent of people in Europe are choosing cider to beer he tells me. Can鈥檛 wait to try some!
While we wait with bated breath for these guys to open, try some of the locally produced ciders currently available. 聽
And to get things revved up for grilling season, here is one of my favourite apple cider barbecue sauce recipes from Becca at
Amuse Bouche.
Ingredients
鈥⒙� 500 ml apple cider (2 cups) (try 聽 聽 聽 聽 Broken Ladder)
鈥⒙� 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
鈥⒙� 3 tbsp tomato puree
鈥⒙� 1 tsp smoked paprika
鈥⒙� 50 g brown sugar (1/4 cup)
鈥⒙� 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
Instructions
Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan and mix well.聽
Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for around 40 minutes or until the mixture has reached your desired consistency. Leave to cool and store in the fridge.
Here鈥檚 to summer!
