TORONTO, June 05, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ontario Craft Cider Association (OCCA) presents the first Ontario Craft Cider Month, June 1 - 30, 2019. With legions of local craft apple cider lovers driving the industry’s staggering growth (seven-fold increase over the past five years, according to OCCA), it’s about time Ontario cider and those who love it got their own month!
Ontario Craft Cider Month offers a taste of the region’s crop to glass experience. It’s an opportunity for all to discover the bounty of Ontario’s diverse apple growing regions through an array of extraordinary ciders; cider country tours along the Apple Trail; exciting cider events and delicious restaurant collaborations celebrating Ontario’s finest cider blends.
“Ontarians consuming craft ciders at rates never seen before is a testament to the sensational cider being made by our local Ontario producers,” says Richard Liu, Chair, Ontario Craft Cider Association. “The industry here is growing at an exponential rate and apple growers and cider makers are stepping up to meet the demand with some of the best ciders in the world. The celebration used to be a week-long event but there’s far too much to showcase, so we’re extending it to a full month of June. Ontario Craft Cider Month is a chance to tour country cideries and meet the makers; enjoy cider-centric special events and discover innovative new ciders at the LCBO or in one of the many restaurants we’re collaborating with.”
The guide to June cider activities is available at www.ontariocraftcidermonth.com. Here are a few highlights of just some of the exciting initiatives planned for the month:
Restaurant and bar cider celebrations across Ontario
Dozens of bars and restaurants are collaborating with the OCCA to offer new, small batch limited release ciders in June for Cider Month. Check your local bar or restaurant to see what’s on. Feature cider highlights include:
- Thornbury Village Cidery: Raspberry Apple Cider and Let’s Get Tropical
- The County Cider Co.: Blackberry Peach Cider
- Ernest Cider Co: Watermelon Basil Cider
- KW Cider: Blueberry Maple Spirulina
- Ironwood Cider: Cherry Bomb and Honey Rosemary
Cider Month Event Highlights
Inaugural Craft Cocktail Party at the Burroughs Building, a taste of summer with an Ontario cider bar and cider-based cocktails from local craft producers. Sunday June 30, at 8:00 p.m. Media exclusive preview starts at 6 p.m. sharp! 639 Queen Street West, Toronto.
Cider pairings and cidery tours on the Apple Pie Trail from Duntroon to Blue Mountain, Beaver Valley, Thornbury and Meaford beginning June 7. Find participating cideries at www.cidergrowshere.ca and www.ontariocraftcider.com.
New Ontario Craft Ciders at the LCBO
From May 26 to June 22, LCBO celebrates Ontario craft cider with limited release, curated cider variety packs, available exclusively online. The Ontario Craft Cider Association will host sampling events at the LCBO flagship Summerhill store in Toronto, featuring the latest craft ciders paired with gourmet appetizers and cider based cocktail suggestions. (June 1, 3 – 7 p.m.; June 13, 12 to 4 p.m.; and June 21, 11:30 – 3:30 p.m) Additional LCBO locations across Ontario will host cider tastings from May 30 to June 21, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
About the Ontario Craft Cider Association (OCCA)
The Ontario Craft Cider Association is an association of over 60 cider producers in Ontario. The OCCA’s mission is to ensure that Ontario is recognized as a center for cider excellence and innovation. Ontario craft cider producers use only 100 percent juice from Ontario apples and bring many benefits to all of rural Ontario, from Windsor to Ottawa, Collingwood to Prince Edward County and everywhere in between. Ontario is the ideal place to grow apples. Learn more at www.ontariocraftcider.com.
Ontario Craft Cider Month was funded in part through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. The Agricultural Adaptation Council assists in the delivery of the Partnership in Ontario.