5505 Westsyde Rd, Kamloops, BC V2B 8N5, Canada
Description of Business:
Woodward Cider Co is Kamloops’ first and only Craft cider producer, run by the three Woodward brothers who are engineers turned cider producers. All their ciders are crafted in small batches with 100% BC apples. To see their current selection of craft ciders or to learn more about Woodward cider co, head over to their website or social media pages!
Website: https://www.woodwardciderco.ca/
Facebook: @woodwardciderco
Instagram: @woodwardciderco
History of Cider
The first apple cider is thought to have been enjoyed in 55 BC. The Romans sailed to the British Isles where they discovered the locals made a tasty apple cider. The Romans fell in love with the drink and it quickly spread through the roman empire, across Europe and eventually into England in the 9th century. When the early colonists settled in America they brought apple trees with them, which grew easily in the American climate. This boozy drink wasn’t just for enjoyment though, the alcohol content within this cider stopped bacteria from growing in it making it safer to drink than many other sources of water. It was also a great source of nutrients during the winter as it was easily preserved throughout the winter months. However, over time cider started to lose its popularity as immigration from Germany and Europe brought a deep love of beer. The fall of cider really came when the prohibition hit the united states and all cideries were shut down, since then, however, cider has been making a strong comeback.
Fermentation process / Microorganisms involved
The production of apple cider begins with apples. The apples are crushed to extract the juice from the apples. The producer can decide if they want to filter out the pieces of apple at this stage or if they want to leave the solid apple in the juice for a while to change the flavour. This juice will have natural yeast and bacteria in it that had been on the apples. The producer can either let that natural yeast ferment the apples and produce apple cider or they can add a chemical to kill off any yeast and bacteria that may be present and add their own yeast so they know exactly what they are getting. The benefit of killing off the natural bacteria and adding your own is that you have much more control over the final product and you also reduce the risk that an unwanted bacteria or yeast will spoil your cider. However, by using wild yeast you can get unique flavours that could set your cider apart from your competitors. However, using the natural yeast increases the risk of unknown bacteria being present in the apple juice and potentially spoiling the cider. The yeast, natural or introduced, convert the sugar from the apples into alcohol. This is the fermentation process. The fermentation will continue until the yeast runs out of sugar or the alcohol level gets too high and kills off the yeast. At this point the producer can then siphon the cider out of the fermentation tank, leaving behind a layer of sediment that will have formed on the bottom during the fermentation process. This sediment is the yeast from the fermentation as well as any little particles of apple that might still have been in the juice. The apple cider is now ready to be bottled.
Health benefits
Apple cider contains compounds called polyphenols. Polyphenols are thought to be antioxidants and can help the body remove free radicals which can reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.
Polyphenols can also help reduce inflammation
Interesting facts
In the 1600s, rural communities would often pay wages, taxes and tithes with apple cider.
References/ Further reading
History of Cider | WSU Cider | Washington State University. (n.d.). WSU Cider. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://cider.wsu.edu/history-of-cider/
How cider is made—Material, manufacture, making, how to make, used, processing. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2021, from http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Cider.html
Magazine, S., & Lewis, D. (n.d.). The Ancient Origins of Apple Cider. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-origins-apple-cider-180960662/