Bill Zacharkiw: A new generation for Quebec’s cider industry

Has Quebec cider become hip? I spent the day at Complexe Desjardins on March 11 attending the 10th edition of the Mondiale des Cidres. I was there to taste, but I was struck by the age of the packed crowd. Most seemed to be under 30.

Cider is becoming cool? It’s about time. Microbreweries and brew pubs are hugely successful, and local distillers are making interesting booze. Quebec’s wine industry has made great strides of late. Still, even though apples are one of the province’s most emblematic agricultural products, Quebec doesn’t have a cider culture. It used to, but that was a long time ago.

Sad history
Quebec cider has a sad history. Due to an oversight when the Quebec liquor commission was created in 1921, cider was not included in the law, making it illegal to produce or sell cider until the law was amended in 1971. Complete Story