Little wonder that cider is counted among Québec 's finest products, since the first colonists hailed from Normandy and Brittany, two cider-producing provinces in France. But it is only recently that cider has become officially established. The first permits to produce cider, and these were industrial permits, were issued in 1970,but product quality was disappointing. It was only in 1988, when the first permits for the artisanal production and sale of cider were granted, that the beverage really took off.
Producers strive to invent their own unique cider, which means consumers have a vast array of products to choose from in every category: light still cider, strong still cider, light effervescent cider, strong effervescent cider, and aperitif cider. Several cider producers use the champagne method for their sparkling ciders.
There are more and more aperitif ciders every year. Québec is credited with inventing a cider unlike any other. It is produced along the lines of ice wine, that is, it is made from frost-nipped apples or apple juice. The fan club for ice cider is growing by leaps and bounds. Ice cider can be served after the dessert course or on its own. It has even been known to appear alongside foie gras and certain cheeses.
A few years ago, this "cider revival " prompted an association of artisanal cider producers to chart a "Route des cidres ",or cider appreciation circuit. The itinerary for this cider sampling-and-sales route is clearly marked by road signs. Once a year, come apple blossom time, cider producers from the Montérégie region give out free crepes to cider enthusiasts at an event called the "Journée Crêpes et cidre ".
Before the first apple trees in New France could start producing fruit, cider was shipped to the colony. Today, cider is once again assuming its rightful place in the story of Québec and is a natural ingredient in a culinary culture heedful of its past and striding confidently into the future.