It’s not every day you visit a region with its own cider trail — let alone eight of them.
In British Columbia, the BC Farm Crafted Cider Association (BCFCCA) has curated cider trails across its scenic regions so travelers, tourists and locals can plan their cider excursions. The website bcciderway.ca has cider routes that feature urban areas and eclectic neighborhoods, mountain destinations and seascapes, and much more. The region promises to have something for everyone.
The BC Farm Crafted Cider Association is an organization that was established 10 years ago to assist and promote cideries in BC that are listed as “land-based” under their licenses. Cideries can also be listed as “commercial” in their licenses, with different tax implications. They’re typically producing on a larger scale than land-based cideries, and sometimes connected to breweries.
“Six years ago, we gained funding from Buy BC to improve our website and we decided to create cider trails, similar to the BC Ale Trails,” says BCFCCA President Nick Farrer.
According to BCFCCA, British Columbia has 47 cideries licensed as land-based. “Land-based cideries are cideries that grow, ferment, create and package their own apples,” explains Farrer. Members of the association must be 100% independently and BC-owned, and crafting cider from at least 95% juice content not from concentrate and not diluted with water.
The cider must also be made in small batches, with a long fermentation period, on the same farm where the apples are grown. “A true farm-to-bottle product,” Farrer says.
These destinations are explained in detail and categorized by geography into eight cider trails on the BC Cider Way website, crossing the entire province. From coastal islands to the mountains to the central Okanagan, there is likely a cider trail for wherever you may be traveling.
The trails span routes that can take from one to three days, and many include mountain drives and scenic ferry rides. The website breaks each trail down by day, with descriptions of activities and food offerings at each cidery — with gorgeous photography to boot. This resource is beyond convincing when planning a cider-themed trip to British Columbia. And that’s the whole point!
“Cider tourism in BC is still in its infancy,” Ferrer says. “Currently cider tourism generally gets rolled into alcohol tourism: people will go on a mini-tour or breweries, cideries and distilleries all together. But we are trying to create our own market alongside this.”
Ferrer goes on to explain that most cider fans are BC residents, but more and more people are traveling from the United States for vacations that make the most of the exchange rate. While summer often gets the spotlight, he notes that winter and shoulder seasons are equally beautiful times to experience all of the cider trails.
In addition to his role as BCFCCA president, Ferrer is also the operations and production manager at The Bricker Cider Company in Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast. “Tourism is now our number one industry on the Sunshine Coast, and we love people coming to visit,” he says.
Guests at this idyllic cidery can enjoy the view overlooking the Bricker Family Orchard and enjoy ciders like the Sun Coaster made with solely Sunshine Coast apples, most of which are donated by local residents from their backyard trees. “It’s an English-style scrumpy cider with lots of character and vitality,” Ferrer says. “Proceeds from every can or bottle sold go to the Sunshine Coast Food Bank so it’s a true full-circle product.”
Ferrer adds that the Sun Coaster pairs with the blue cheese and apple pizza from the Shed, the cidery’s onsite restaurant that serves an inspired pizza menu with unique toppings like jackfruit and edamame hummus. The shed also serves build-your-own charcuterie boards.
With The Bricker Cider Company being just one of the plethora of land-based cider experiences to enjoy on the Bowen Island & Sunshine Coast trail — let alone the other seven — it goes without saying that British Columbia cider tourists should plan to stay a while, and come back often.
