photo Christinne Muschi for The New York Times
Where Cider Gets a Frech Kick
By MARIALISA CALTA
Published: November 11, 2007
ASK for a glass of “cidre” in Quebec and you will get not the unfermented, unfiltered juice of the apple that cider drinkers in the United States expect, but an alcoholic, sometimes sparkling beverage that can range from sweet to dry. Ask for cider in the Eastern Townships — a sprawling area east of Montreal and south of Quebec City — and you are likely to be served a flute of cidre de glace, or ice cider, an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting the juice of apples that have been left to freeze in the frigid Quebec winter. In local restaurants, it is offered, well chilled, with the cheese or dessert course.
Although there are producers of ice cider outside of the Eastern Townships, there is a de facto “cider trail” concurrent with the well-marked Route des Vins (wine route), which extends from Bedford, Quebec (about 10 miles north of the Vermont border) on the west, north to Farnham and east to Lac-Brome. At least four ice cider makers and five vineyards are clustered around the towns of Dunham and Frelighsburg, just east of Bedford.
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Clos Saragnat: 100, chemin Richford, Frelighsburg, Quebec; (450) 298-1444; www.saragnat.com, also makes and sells ice wine and aperitifs. Open daily from late May to Thanksgiving, then weekends through December. Ice cider tastings are free; other products cost from 75 Canadian cents to 1.50 Canadian dollars a sample, 82 cents to $1.63 at $1.09 to the Canadian dollar.
Domaine Pinnacle: 150, chemin Richford, Frelighsburg; (450) 263-5835; www.domainepinnacle.com. Open daily May through December; tastings are free.
Val Caudalies: 4921, rue Principale, Dunham; (450) 295-2333; www.valcaudalies.com. Open Wednesday to Sunday from June to November. Free tastings.
Vignoble les Blancs Coteaux: 1046, route 202, Dunham; (450) 295-3503; www.blancscoteaux.com. Also available: wine, ice wine and apple aperitifs. Open daily May through December, and on weekends January through April. Tastings are 50 Canadian cents a sample.