A gift idea for Father's Day

It's very soon Father's Day! Are you lacking inspiration for the gift you want to give to your dad or the father of your children? If the father loves alcoholic products, look no further, we have an original idea for you! Go to the Les Vergers Petit et Fils shop to discover our ice cider or our fire cider. The shop is open every day (even on weekends), from 9am to 6pm. You can also buy our ciders at the SAQ. What is the difference between ice cider and fire cider? It is that we will introduce you by revealing to you some of our secrets of manufacture.

Ice cider

Ice cider is obtained by the fermentation of apple juice. The apples used for ice cider are pressed in November, after being meticulously picked by hand in our orchards. They are therefore picked after the first frosts of autumn. Five varieties of apples are used to make our ice cider: McIntosh, Cortland, Empire, Russet and Spartan. This natural cold allows the picked apples to reach a sugar concentration of at least 30 degrees Brix, before fermentation. The Brix scale is used to measure the portion of sucrose in any liquid. Brix degrees therefore indicate the percentage of solids that is soluble. The higher the Brix level is, the more sweet is the juice.

After harvesting, the apples are kept in a tank outside during the winter. The water, then contained in the juice of the fruit, will freeze. Through this newly formed ice, will create channels. In these channels, there is a juice concentrated by the natural sugar of the fruit, which does not freeze. This liquid will rise to the surface of the tank. This process is called cryocentration and it is from this liquid that the ice cider is produced. To recover this precious juice, we simply open the valve of the tank and let it flow. Once this juice is concentrated by the cold thus extracted, the fermentation process will then be carried out in other tanks.

The final product has a residual sugar content of at least 130 grams per liter. The alcoholic strength of ice cider, the volume of alcohol, must be greater than 7% and not more than 13%. Our ice cider has an alcohol content of 11%. The balance between the acidity and the sugar of the product makes it a very versatile alcohol; It can be served alone, as an appetizer or as a digestive. Our ice cider has aromas of pineapple, pear and caramel. If aged a few months, more complex aromas of apricot and vanilla will be added. This taste with tropical notes will harmonize very well with foie gras, strong cheeses and desserts. Serve our  at a temperature of four degrees Celsius. Gold medalist at the Coupe des Nations in 2017, the ice cider of the Vergers Petit et Fils is sold at a cost of $ 20. Do you know that we also produce a sparkling version of ice cider?

Fire Cider

The manufacture of fire cider differs from ice cider by the process used to obtain a sugar concentration in apple juice. As its name indicates, it is by the heat that this cider is made, unlike ice cider, which uses a natural cold. Once the apples are harvested and pressed to extract the juice in a traditional way. We cooked the apples in barrels, which were then used for cooking maple syrup. This process causes the fruit juice to be caramelized. The juice is cooked until a sugar concentration of at least 28 degrees Brix is ​​reached.

The final product thus has a residual sugar content of at least 80 grams per liter. It is therefore lower than ice cider, which has a minimum of 130 grams per liter. The alcoholic strength of fire cider, ie the alcohol content by volume, must be greater than 9% and not more than 15%. It is therefore higher than ice cider, which oscillates between 7% and 13%. To make ice cider, five varieties of apples grown in our orchards are used: McIntosh, Cortland, Empire, Russet and Spartan. These fruits come from a late harvest, before the first frosts of autumn. This makes it possible to use the characteristic taste of the apples to their greatest maturity.

Our fire cider has an alcohol content of 12%. A little drier than the ice cider, it has aromas of caramel, walnut and smoked maple. Try it with dark chocolate, to find a harmony between sweet and sour notes. Just like ice cider, it can be served alone, as an aperitif or as a digestive. The Petit and Fils orchard fire cider is sold for $ 20. He was also a gold medalist at the Mondial des Cidres in 2017.

A Gift Idea for Father's Day | ** | Ice cider | ** | The cider of fire |