Meaford has long been known for its apples, and if you’ve purchased non-alcoholic cider before, you may have enjoyed the taste of them in a refreshing form. But hard cider has a long tradition in Ontario, and many pioneer farms used the windfall from their orchards to ferment their own batches. Today, hard cider’s experiencing a resurgence. It has become the fastest growing alcoholic beverage in the province, and in recent years, new cideries producing hard cider have cropped up throughout the nearby area.

In the next few weeks, we’ll visit our local craft cideries so you can plan a cider tour of Meaford and area.

Cider Stop 1- Thornbury Village Cidery

Ten minutes from Meaford Haven, you’ll find Thornbury Village Cidery, in the large, old poured-concrete building that housed handling facilities for Mitchell’s Apple Juice a generation ago. There, Cider Master Doug Johnson and his team produce Thornbury Premium Cider, a dry, crisp beverage made from 100 percent fresh-pressed local apples.

The company launched in 2008 as Ontario’s second cidery, and one of the pioneers in the Ontario cider boom. Started by Andre Corbeil and group of (mainly British) investors, the company’s flagship cider was such an immediate hit, that the company was recently bought by Beer Barons (now King Brewery).

Thornbury Premium Cider is a “light, easy to drink, champagne-style cider with just a very slight hint of apple,” says the company’s website. Unfortunately, you can’t tour the cidery or taste samples there, but you can easily find yourself a pint at many of the restaurants within walking distance of the cidery (or at the LCBO).

Stay tuned for our next stop.