The Distilleries of Vancouver Island by Marianne Scott

Author:Marianne Scott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Touchwood Editions
Published: 2021-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

The gazebo surrounded by apple trees at Merridale.

Cowichan Spiced Rhumb is Cowichan Rhumb that has been flavoured with vanilla, cinnamon, molasses, and other Caribbean spices. To infuse these flavours, the distillers insert a macerating tube into a cask’s bunghole. The tube is filled with small pieces of the macerated botanicals that infuse the rum. The alcohol by volume is 43 percent.

Apple Oh de Vie (a brandy) is made from Merridale’s cider and then aged in French oak barrels. The distillery makes only very limited quantities of this elixir because it’s made from a special blend of French and English cider apples. It’s often quaffed as a digestif or in martinis.

Merridale also produces two fortified tipples, each with an alcohol by volume of 19.5 percent. Oaked Harvest Cider combines apple cider and brandy into a slightly sweet drink. In the tradition of Normandy and Brittany, fresh-pressed cider apples are fermented in French oak barrels. At the right moment, Merridale’s cider brandy is added, which stops the fermentation and preserves the natural sweetness of the apples. The fortified spirit continues to age until it reaches maturity.

Apple Dessert Cider is also called “apple pie in a bottle.” It’s made completely differently from the Oaked Harvest Cider. It begins with a balanced blend of Merridale’s favourite cider apples. It ferments while more food is added to keep the yeast fed. The yeast is forced to ferment the cider up to 17 percent and beyond. Then, the cider ages and relaxes in a stainless steel tank. A year later, additional apple juice and a small amount of Apple Oh de Vie bring it up to 19 percent alcohol by volume. The resulting fortified cider resembles an apple port, with an aroma of baked apples. It can be poured like port. Merridale recommends pairing it with cheddar or blue cheese, melons, fruit desserts, and dark chocolate.

AWARDS

With one exception, Merridale has submitted its products to the Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition to be judged. In 2020, the company won gold medals for its Cowichan Cider Brandy and Cowichan Spiced Rhumb, and silver medals for its Cowichan Cherry Brandy, Cowichan Rhumb and Cowichan Gin. In addition, Merridale’s Cowichan Pear Brandy was awarded a gold medal in the Aged Brandy category at the 2014 American Distilling Institute Spirit Competition.

TOURS AND EVENTS

Merridale participates in wine and spirit festivals. Its website regularly lists its upcoming events. Canadian Craft Tours, Vancouver Island Expeditions, and Cheers Cowichan Tours all include Merridale in their Cowichan-area culinary tours.

SIGNATURE COCKTAILS

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.