Like microbrewery beers or Quebec wines, the spotlight is on local ciders. But the prejudices for this alcohol – one of the oldest made in Quebec – are stubborn and it is to highlight the distinctions and local know-how that the Association des Producteurs de cidre du Québec invites the curious to come. meet them from October 22 to 24, all over the province.
The event, called La Grande Presse, is happening right in the middle of the pressing season. A nice wink arranged by the guy with views, Marc-Antoine Lasnier, president of the association and cider farmer in the family business Cidrerie Milton, established in Estrie for four generations. Inspired by a rally that has been going on for some 20 years in Franklin, Massachusetts, he set out to sell juicefrom apple to amateurs who make their own homemade cider. “In Massachusetts, it’s a must. I liked the atmosphere a lot and I wanted to [de rapporter le concept]. So, three years ago, we started to sell our juice and that day is so nourishing in human terms that I would not miss it anymore, ”he enthuses.
A day so dear to him that Marc-Antoine Lasnier decided to deploy the idea across Quebec so that colleagues can have a good reason to open their doors to consumers.
“While normally we are a little roughed up – we don’t make wine or beer – then we become the stars,” he laughs. Cider is one of the most Quebecois alcohols. It’s very local and through La Grande Presse, we want to promote this culture. The program for this first edition brings together more than ten producers. In addition to guided tours, tastings and pressing demonstrations, more participatory gatherings will also be organized, including a workshop to make your own sparkling cider at the Black Creek Farm, in Montérégie, or an OktoberCidre at the Cidrerie Milton where will combine sausages, sauerkraut, pretzel and dry cider tasting.
Prophet in his country
If a craze for cider has been palpable for the past five years, the fact remains that the majority of people still ignore its genres and its variations, notes Marc-Antoine Lasnier. After launching Quebec Cider Week, where retailers display the diversity of their inventories, he believes that the population should be encouraged to meet with cider growers and discuss with them so that they can, in their own way, democratize their products.
Still according to Marc-Antoine Lasnier, the maxim “no one is a prophet in his country” could still apply to Quebec cider, which is praised for its quality internationally. This recognition is all the more enviable by countries where cider is widely consumed, such as Ireland or England, which has a ratio of 15 liters per inhabitant. In comparison, 0.4 liters per capita are drunk in Quebec.
“In competitions, I’m more afraid of being dislodged by fellow Quebecois than by others! relates Mr. Lasnier, who has also been a judge in world competitions. The emblematic character of the cider from here is a consequence of the production rules obliging all cider growers to also be apple growers.
“Our American colleagues call the guy from the press who delivers them juice. They don’t know what varieties of apples it comes from or the ripeness levels. They don’t know the terroir either. We in Quebec control all of that. “
Not for Sale
And the most astonishing thing is that the uniqueness of Quebec cider throughout the world came thanks to its ban in Quebec in 1921. That year, the Act respecting the Commission des liqueurs will prohibit the sale of cider until in 1970, where its legality blew up sales. It is said that at the time, three times more cider was consumed than today.
“To meet demand, producers have turned corners and there is bad cider that has been made,” says Marc-Antoine Lasnier. All baby boomers have a bad perception of cider because of the one that was made in those years. “
In the 1980s, pioneers decided to review the specifications marking out cider production. Restrictive bases – such as the obligation to be apple growers first – have made it possible to bring about a quality of cider that is unmatched, believes Marc-Antoine Lasnier.
The other side of the coin is that the rules prevent production at a higher volume, while Quebec is the province with the most producers in Canada. “We drink less cider in Quebec, but we drink the best! “