5 Bottles for Celebrating… Everything!

1- Cortland Fût de Téquila Cider, Cidrerie Milton

I’m more than happy to have discovered the Cidrerie Milton’s exploration series. A series which has us discover new approaches to cider making. My favourite comes from the delightful blend of Mexican and Québec flavours. Cortland apples go through a passerillage process during the winter to concentrate their sugars and the phenol content found in the skin of the fruit. Then, the cider is aged for six months in oak barrels that were used for tequila reposado. Finally, after an on lees maturation, unfiltered, the end product offers aromas of agave, wood and spices blending perfectly with the sweetness of the Cortland apple. A cider with a lot of character and body, but well balanced, with a natural effervescence produced in the bottle.

The ideal pairing for poultry dishes such as BBQ grilled Portuguese chicken, or better still on a wood charcoal grill to bring out the aromas of the tequila barrels.

©Cidrerie Autour de la pomme

2- Dans Ma Bulle, Cidrerie Autour de la pomme

I invite you to discover this very different cuvée we presently find in the cider market. Dans ma Bulle is a sparkling cider, aged on lees, with its bubbles developed using a traditional in-bottle method. Its nose presents fresh citrus aromas, notes of apple flesh and a light floral character. In the mouth, it’s pure lace, and the tiny bubbles are quite persistent. We find almost no sugariness, it’s a very dry cider, with a refreshing acidity. This product has a rather low alcohol content (only 9.5%), so it’s easy to digest and you won’t feel all tipsy while enjoying these apples!

©Clos de l'Orme Blanc

3- Clos de l’Orme Blanc, Au pied de la lettre

Clos de l’Orme Blanc is a small vineyard to which the expression “The best things come in small packages” lends itself quite well. Here, they offer their vines, and nature, an utmost respect while adding a touch of poetry to their operations. My favourite selection: cuvée Au pied de la Lettre. It’s developed with 100% Seyval Blanc and grapevines that have accumulated quite a few years of experience. Vinified partly in barrels and partly in stainless steel tanks, without any fining or filtration, the result is a lively, dry wine with a nose presenting powerful aromas of citrus, flowers and nuts, and a fine texture on the palate.

This wine pairs well with California salad recipes and your catch-of-the-day from our rivers and lakes.

©Mathieu Dupuis

4- Gamay 2019, Vignoble Cotes d’Ardoise

It’s normal to prefer a white wine on hot summer days, but don’t underestimate what we call in our jargon rouges de soif or thirst-quenching reds. Gamay is a grape variety found in Beaujolais wines and in such wonderful appellations as Moulin-à-vent and Morgon to name but a couple. The Domaine Côtes d’Ardoise has been growing this variety for several years on its terroir composed of slate and schist, and offers all the right ingredients to enjoy a pleasant moment. On the nose, it offers charming aromas of red and black cherries and some floral and herbaceous notes as well, such as lilac, anise and fennel. The mouthfeel is fresh, light and supple with a hint of a mineral flavour finish. It’s easy to enjoy with only a 10% alcohol content.

This wine will pair very well with marinated grilled dishes, beef tartare and grilled hamburgers.

©Distillerie La Chaufferie

5- Barnston, Distillerie La Chaufferie

Now here’s a great surprise for your festivities. Their Barnston sugar beet spirit is somewhat equivalent to a farm rum, but 100% Québec terroir! This spirit takes its name from the small municipality near Coaticook which provides the sugar beets used for the distillery’s production. In fact, it’s the end result of a distillation of sugar beet molasses that you find in this elixir. This Barnston product is the first of the series FMRs (ephemeral series) La Chaufferie is proposing. No worries! It doesn’t taste like fermented beet juice! You’ll discover an extreme finesse with its aromas of young conifer shoots, Granny Smith apples and wild raspberries. In the mouth, you’ll enjoy a very round texture as well as light earthy and vegetal aromas with a delicate finish.

Can be tasted as such, slightly cooled or as a cocktail drink (see below).

©Rameux Photographes

Northern Tropics

Cocktail by Claudia Doyon, Distillerie La Chaufferie

Ingredients :

• 2 oz Barnston
• 0.75 oz of honey
• 0.25 oz of verjuice (or freshly pressed lime juice)
• Half a green apple cut in cubes
• Fresh Coriander
• *5 drops of Amer Kebek “Fleurs” (bitter)

Instructions:

• Mash the apple cubes in your drink shaker (or mason jar);
• Add 4 coriander leaves (tapped between your palms);
• Add all the ingredients and dry shake them;
• Add ice and shake again;
• Double filter in your glass using a strainer or sieve;
• Add more ice and a coriander leaf.