Well known for its ice wines, Quebec is also noted for its ice cider (or cidre de glace), which was born here. 

Ice wine is definitely sweet, but not as tawny as port. Ice cider offers a tasty alternative to both.

Since a trip to Montreal just wouldn’t be as fun or authentic without some ice cider shopping, here are a few top tier recommendations.

Marche Des Saveur Specialties: Found at the Jean Talon Marche, this store sells only locally produced goods. It is an excellent place to find artisanal cheeses and ice wines like the famous Neige.

Marche Des Saveur also features good meats, wines, and beers for hardcore foodies.

Neige: This ice cider is extremely popular both among locals and tourists. Established in 1994, the brand Neige Premiere produced by La Face Cachee de la Pomme is considered the first luxury ice cider made in Quebec and sold around the world. Neige is sweet but not saccharine. It has a beautiful finish and is an excellent option for summer, accompanying lighter fare, or as a light dessert wine alternative.

Pinnacle: Ice cider in the Quebecois sense is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting the juice of apples frozen during the winter in Quebec. Domaine Pinnacle, chaired by Christian Barthomeuf, is generally considered the inventor of the ice cider. The apples are harvested on the slopes of the Pinnacle Mountain, and what’s different about Pinnacle is that their ice cider is blended after fermentation (most others blend it before). Pinnacle is extremely popular (for good reason) and should be on every ice cider lover’s list.

Clos Saint-Denis: This manufacturer makes ice cider the traditional way, and uses four varieties of apples: McIntosh, Cortland, Spartan, and Royal Gala. Known for both its sweetness and acidity levels, Clos Saint-Denis’ ice ciders feature robust flavors and are extremely palatable, especially with a warm dessert.

CC Flickr photo credit: Eduardo