To call the Okanagan Valley’s Summerland Heritage Cider Co. a small scale cidery would be an overstatement. Nano-cidery, possibly. They currently produce just one cider, Tuesday’s Original, from their estate-grown cider apples, though more releases are in the works (Porter’s Dry is launching this fall).
Though the company is just starting off, the real beginning was planted 20 years ago, when three orchardist friends decided to utilize their surplus crop and start learning about traditional cidermaking. Tom Kinvig, Bob Thompson and Ron Vollo used to get together Tuesday afternoons to taste test and tinker with cider apples and cidermaking. Though the three had been orchardists for years, the European cider apples they were discovering were all new varieties to them, and they were keen to learn more. Years of research, trial and error led to the grafting of traditional cider apples and the honing of their technique and recipes.
Tuesday’s Original is their modern take on a classic English cider. Off-dry with a soft effervescence, this full bodied cider is a mix of traditional apples, pure and tart apple crispness to balance off the gentle sweetness, and a nice wash of tannins on the finish.
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