The addition of the Wards Hard Cider to the popular wine lineup at The View is a natural—Jennifer Molgat’s great-grandfather, George Washington Ward planted apple trees on the family’s Southeast Kelowna property nearly a century ago. More recently, her father Chris Turton had the foresight to replace some of the traditional fresh market varieties with a collection of cider apple varieties such as Bramley, Jersely Chisel, Bulmers Norman, Porters Perfection, Lord Lambourne, Belle de Boskoop and Cox’s Orange Pippin. Cider apples are thick skinned and tart—perfect for making aromatic, fruity ciders with a nice crisp finish.
A refreshing thirst quencher, Wards Hard Apple Cider is a great alternative for people on gluten free diets. Many beer drinkers are embracing hard ciders as their beverage of choice, with the crisp, spicy flavours providing a nice change from hops and malt. “Like biting into a crisp apple,” is the note I made when Jennifer poured a sample of Wards Picker’s Hut Premium Cider. A second sample, Wards Picker’s Hut Winter Spice, proved to be a surprise because it was not a typical winter cider spice bomb. Clean, subtle citrus flavours make it a terrific year-round treat (even if the label does have snowflakes on it). Does a cider a day keep the doctor away, I wonder?
Wards Hard Apple Cider and Festive Cider (with just a touch of cherry juice to infuse colour and add more flavour) are sold in 355ml cans. The Picker’s Hut Ciders come in 650ml painted bottles. Ideal for picnics and just about any outdoor activity, Wards Ciders are a tribute to Jennifer’s five generations of Ward and Turton family history in Kelowna.
~ Lorne Eckersley