When it comes to developing a new product, Molly Crandles, senior cidermaker at Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse, has some simple advice: “Don’t lose track of your goal.”
Located on Canada’s beautiful Saanich Peninsula, just north of Victoria on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Sea Cider created a series of botanically infused ciders called “Canadian Invasion.” The intent is to showcase the flavors of native and non-native plants, while also highlighting invasive species’ threat to both farms and wild areas.
Those ideas led Crandles to Wolf in the Woods, which features flavorful apples alongside the brisk forest character of young, fresh fir needles from the native grand fir tree and the citrusy, floral notes of hops. Hops, it should be noted, are often from places like Europe or hybrids that can quickly grow out of control outside of their natural habitat — something the cidery learned the hard way after planting some.
This juxtaposition of flavors is representative of Sea Cider’s property: a harmonious combination of cultivated crops and native forest. The balancing act became Crandles’ North Star in the product development process. “It would be easy for [a cider like] Wolf in the Woods to be too hoppy and bitter, or taste too much like pine needles,” she says.
Keeping this goal of balance in mind, Crandles and her team went through many trials. After starting with estate-grown apples fermented at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks to maintain aroma, Crandles turned her attention to the hops. She trialed different forms — fresh versus dried, whole versus sliced — as well as different extraction methods. “We discovered that creating an eau de vie of the hops by soaking them in neutral spirits — rather than boiling them, for example — works best for us.”
From there, Crandles found the same method worked well for the grand fir needles, sourced from a local Christmas tree farm. “[We] only use the needles and avoid any bark order to keep the blend fresh and avoid bitterness,” Crandles notes.
After playing with different ingredient ratios, the Sea Cider team came to a consensus on a final product that shows off the botanicals while still letting the apples shine through.
“Lean on your team,” Crandles encourages. “Everyone’s palate is different, and getting lots of people involved in tasting is the best way to make sure you are moving in the right direction.” From fresh apples to juice, to in-progress fermentation and blending trials, tasting throughout the entire product development process is key, she says.
Wolf in the Woods is a clear, pale-chartreuse colored, off-dry cider featuring notes of grapefruit and pine with a gentle astringency. It’s available for purchase in 750 milliliter bottles on-site and online.
Photos courtesy Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse
