In addition to the culinary/agritourism powerhouse of Cobble Hill, BC’s Merridale Estate Cidery (bistro, ciders, events, etc.) is their distillery. Rick Pipes, co-owner of the Cowichan Valley’s popular Merridale Cider with his wife Janet Docherty, decided to study the craft of fruit brandy and eaux de vies after mastering the art of traditional cider-making. The Merridale Brandy House opened on site in 2007 with a release of two eaux de vie and has continued to expand the line as Rick experiments with local fruits and techniques.
One of their most creative products is the Frizz, a carbonated fruit-based vodka, memorably sealed with a red Zork closure. Don’t misunderstand—this is not fruit-infused vodka, but vodka made from fruit. Instead of having a base of grain or potatoes, it is a blend of spirits made from cherries, plums, apples, and some pear. After three or four failures, they discovered a method of carbonating the vodka in 150 gallon batches over many weeks at temperatures close to freezing. The resulting bubble is small and refined, akin to Frizzante.
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Track on Twitter: @merridalecider
