Welcome to The Cider Crate - The Cider Crate

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- Ciders of Canada – Map
- Ciders of Ontario – Map
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- Toronto Cider Festival
- Event Recaps
  - 613 Cider Week (June 6-13, 2021)
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About

Ciders
Recipes
Map
- Ciders of Canada – Map
- Ciders of Ontario – Map
Events
- Toronto Cider Festival
- Event Recaps
  - 613 Cider Week (June 6-13, 2021)
News
About

Welcome to The Cider Crate

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A love letter to Ontario, Québec & Canadian Ciders 🇨🇦
Reviews, news, cidersofcanada.ca + cidersofontario.ca
Bethany - Certified Cider Guide 🍎🥂🍁

October 7th - 13th is Ontario Craft Cider week. A

October 7th - 13th is Ontario Craft Cider week. A time to celebrate just how good Ontario cider is and to support our local cider makers!I was grateful for the invite to a media dinner here in Ottawa last night to celebrate the start of the week put on by @drinkontarioapples and @savvycompanyinc at @thewellie.4 cider makers were featured - Ottawa area @saunderscider + @farmgatecider, PEC’s @lochmorciderco and our Baltimore friends @ricelakehardcider who make the journey up to Ottawa semi-frequently for events.The night started with 3 of @lochmorciderco excellent choices - talk about starting with a bang. We’ve known for awhile how passionate Sara is about her own cider and the cider community as a whole, so it was great to hear her share her story with the group. These ciders were accompanied with some delightful canapés, including duck tartare.Up next was @ricelakehardcider with their 3 excellent flagship offerings, paired with a roasted butternut squash and maple soup. While everyone liked all 3 ciders, the crowd favourite was their Slo Hopped that features some fun tropical fruit-like notes. Meg was on hand to explain it all ❤️Then came our pork chops the size of our heads and wow that was a big main course indeed. So perfectly paired with @farmgatecider Russet, the tannins and crispness mingled very well with all the elements on the plate.Finally, @saunderscider was up last, to share their bottled 6th line cider with some superb Quebec cheeses and fruits for dessert. Graham was there to explain just how unique Saunders is of a cider maker in Ontario.The guests were also so lovely. From food bloggers to an individual who had never tried cider before (and fell in love) it was a diverse group of people who all walked away with a great appreciation for the cider we all love.It’s moments like this that make me extra proud to be apart of such an amazing cider community and fuel my passion to keep apart of it.Thanks everyone + Debbie, Shirley, Steve & Janice for an excellent evening!And go support your local Ontario cider makers next week (and every week!)

3 years today. Time flies when you’re enjoying l

3 years today. Time flies when you’re enjoying life together (and sharing lots of bottles of good cider) ❤️🥂.
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime

It’s a Sunday slow sipper cider!Featuring the

It’s a Sunday slow sipper cider!Featuring the Elderflower by @greyandgoldcider, a cider maker we haven’t had in too long now, from the Blue Mountains.They use a lot of unique adjunct flavours found in nature, in particularly forged from forests, like spruce and wild flowers. The elderflower here is bone dry, and it comes across as a savoury white floral note, far from some of the sweetened elderflower syrups on the market. The apple base features a medley of apple characteristics and tannins, that become softer and creamier in the finish.We hope to get back to the beautiful Grey County region soon, such good cidermakers can be found there..
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime

It’s the most wunderbar and magical time of year

It’s the most wunderbar and magical time of year - Oktoberfest has started with the tapping of the kegs in Munich! Celebrations take place globally and are such a fun time of joy and friends.I’m from Kitchener, which hosts the second largest celebrations in the world, so I have a natural inclination to celebrating this great festival. Hoping maybe I get to a festhallen in a couple of weeks? 👀And while we will be drinking some Oktoberfest beers, this is a cider account. You won’t find much cider in Munich or Bavaria at all, trust us, we looked, but you will find a lot of it in another region of Germany - Hesse. Known for their Apfelweins, it has a long history and tradition in Frankfurt and the surrounding area.@cidrerie.compton has attempted to replicate this style, with a bit of its own Quebec flair. Made with golden russets and aged and macerated on dolgo crabapples and Louise Sweson white grapes, it’s a very dry and dank cider, decently sour, with a lot of cellaring and fermentation notes. The apples are mainly upfront, with the grape and white wine notes coming through in the finish. Familiar style of what you’d find in Germany, but perhaps a touch more dank/sour and with influences of the Quebec dry & wild style that has emerged as of late. A great cider /apefelwein overall and it still pairs well with a pretzel.We were fortunate enough to be in Munich for the first two days of Oktoberfest in 2017. It’s definitely a bucket list trip for any beer fan. I’ve included some photos of our day at the Theresienwiese to relive some good memories.Prost! 🍻🥂.
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime

For something a little different tonight, we have

For something a little different tonight, we have this bottle we recently picked up at Toronto’s @bossanovato. Maybe only our 2nd Italian cider, we are trying the Sidro by @birrabaladin, made with 100% Italian apples from the Piedmont region.A semi-sweet choice but not sugary, we were surprised at how little to no acidity there is in this. But it’s still a very strong and forward apple cider overall. We get a lot of floral notes in this - becoming very elderflower tasting in the finish. Maybe a few pear-like notes in there too. A very bright apple base, these notes certainly linger a long time in the mouth.Italy is definitely on our travel to do list (we’ve only been to the Epcot pavilion so far 🤣). But one day, we will aim to see all 20 regions of this beautiful country..
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime

Maybe it’s the fact that @brookerscider uses mai

Maybe it’s the fact that @brookerscider uses mainly/only wild apples in their ciders, that we feel they must be drank in nature 🤷🏻‍♀️But here we have their 3.6% Ciderkin 1 from 2023. Ciderkins are traditionally lower in alcohol and made with leftover apple pomace. Upon research into this style, it was once deemed acceptable for children to drink these, because of the lower alcohol, so there’s that 👀We always expect unique notes from Brookers ciders, and this one did not disappoint on that front. Upfront you get a sharp bitterness - we assume from the apples, but it could be from the honey added. Then, you get a rich lemony note that’s a bit zesty. The ciderkin then switches to a bright, crisp green apple-like base with floral, lemony notes that have some serious sumac vibes to us.It might be lower ABV, and the body might be lighter than some ciders, but it doesn’t skimp on the flavours, that’s for sure 🎉.
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime

Wishing a massive happy 40th birthday to one of Ca

Wishing a massive happy 40th birthday to one of Canada’s biggest cider fans, my husband and the founder and executive director of @cidercidreca, Barry Rooke! 🎉And it’s also our good friend @chrisvbraney of @coldcreekvineyards birthday this weekend too!!So to celebrate, we are drinking a new release for Cold Creek this year, their UK cider-cocktail inspired cider, Cider and Black. Infused with black currants, it’s a light bodied cider overall, with a delicate but semi-tart currant. The apple base is familiar, but also funky and dry.Barry and I founded The Cider Crate almost 9 years ago. He started Cider Canada / Cidre Canada as a result of our tours through cideries and conversations with cider makers - also being in Ottawa led to realization there was no national organization to represent and connect Canadian cider makers across the country. So Barry made it his pandemic project to start Cider Canada and it now has over 150 members from 9 provinces and 1 territory.Barry has always been one to get very passionate about his interests. Aside from cider, he has been a nightclub DJ who played around the world, opening for acts like Steve Aoki and Above and Beyond. He also is a football fan, so he referees soccer games locally at a high level, as well as umpires Australian Rules football.Chris and Barry have a similar drive and passion for life. Aside from making excellent cider, Chris is the municipal councillor for Hillier, and he is a talented musician who plays with his band frequently.So happy birthday to two cider legends who give so much talent and passion to the cider community here. So many benefit from your work..
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime

Keep me searching for a heart of gold 💛🎶An

Keep me searching for a heart of gold 💛🎶Anytime we drink a @banjocider, we certainly feel our hearts glowing. They are one of the cider makers we can say with confidence we’ve never had a bad cider from and I know others share a fondness and respect of Banjo as well.Here we have a delicious Golden Russet single varietal that really captures all the essences of this apple. It’s bright, it’s fleshy, but it doesn’t shy away from the grit and earthiness of the apple in its natural form. Higher levels of tannins, acidity and astringency add depth that keeps the palate deciphering and engaged.Golden russet single varietals may not be a beginner cider, but this is one of the easiest, most approachable ones we’ve had. So this a great education to this complex apple that may be overlooked sometimes, but 100% deserving of its own single varietal cider, always.Until next time, Banjo 🥰.
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime

Watermelon cider, anyone? 🍉🍉🍉This new c

Watermelon cider, anyone? 🍉🍉🍉This new canned cider from Quebec institution @restaurantaupieddecochon is a different watermelon cider than we’ve had before. Made with yellow watermelon, it’s actually a very dry cider, primarily rind-focused tasting. It’s earthy, it’s very natural, and it might not even be sweetened at all. The apples are funky and a bit sour, also being bone dry.You may be familiar with Au Pied De Cochon from travel shows like Anthony Bourdain’s various shows or Somebody Feed Phil. They are famous for their use of fois gras on basically everything and their sugar shack restaurant in the woods. They recently got into the cider game and now we also see some distilling on their website.They had 4 new canned ciders at @le_cinqasept and we got them all, so looking forward to the next three after this very unique and different cider..
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime #cidreduquebec #jaimelecidreqc

It was a Concord grape summer! 🍇We had a few

It was a Concord grape summer! 🍇We had a few ciders this summer infused with Concord grapes, but one that really stands out is the @heartwoodcidery Concordia’s Conviction.Semi-sparkling, it’s a light bodied but full flavoured experience. Compostion flavour wise, we say is about a 60/40% balance in taste, tilting more towards the grapes. A mostly sharp and semi-crisp apple base, apple characteristics are mainly upfront. It leans more concord grape overall, especially in the aftertaste, it has both fresh and fermented notes, skins/tannins and juice elements. While made with grapes, it does not taste very wine-like, and definitely a grape juice additive.Their website says this one is still in stock in case you’re interested! Great for entertaining or for enjoying the last warm days of 2024.Always have been a fan of Heartwood and always will be when they continue to put out unique and well executed ciders..
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime

We have a soft spot for the Geissberger brothers.

We have a soft spot for the Geissberger brothers. Very sweet and friendly, we always enjoy visiting them at @farmhouse.cider in Clarington.Recently we stopped in and grabbed their lineup of crisp and farm-focused ciders.Their Hard Apple is an extra crisp and tingly cider made with 100% local apples. A smooth base and refreshing acidity help elevate this into a simple, but well executed straight apple cider.Their family has been making sweet ciders since the 70s, only in the past few years turning to hard ciders in their portfolio. They were also featured on Dragons Den for their mobile pressing machine that helps countless businesses across Ontario come harvest time..
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime

Celebrate the fruits of your labour today and ever

Celebrate the fruits of your labour today and everyday, you’ve earned it ✨We were deeply impressed with @fruitwines flagship blended fruit Pear & Crabapple cider.With a relatively dry pear base, that is a bit juicy and a bit peel-oriented, it’s a forceful pear flavour and medium mouthfeel overall. It also has a noticeable but balanced crabapple presence. We say balanced because it’s not too sour, tannic or gritty, but there are hints of these elements throughout the sipping journey.A smooth cider from start to finish, with enough depth and intrigue to please even the most traditional and nice cider drinkers, it’s a true winner in our books. Complex enough to analyze, simple enough to sit back and enjoy with.See them this Fall in Port Perry - they apparently will have their infamous pumpkin cider on tap available in a few weeks!.
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime

Sunsets are earlier. Nights are a bit cooler.Bu

Sunsets are earlier. Nights are a bit cooler.But summer lives on in the form of this Raspberry Lemonade summer seasonal from @brickworkscider.We’ve had this before at their old taproom in Toronto. And it seems to have remained the same in taste. Bright and tart fruits mingle well with their standard apple base.As we march on to Fall, we keep these moments of peace and reflection close to us..
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime

It’s easy to judge a cider based on its labels o

It’s easy to judge a cider based on its labels or what you think you know about the cidery itself. But you might be wrong. And you might enjoy being wrong about it.For example, we assumed this Cé Sûr by @domainelafrance would be a sweet, candied cherry cider. Why? Because it’s a legacy maker in Québec known for clean and uplifting ciders.This definitely shocked us when it was bone dry, super funky and even a bit of a dank cherry to it. Macerated and cofermented with cherries, it’s got a lot of things going on, but sweetness isn’t one of them. The apples are a bit sour. The funkiness is a bit of a hit to the system.But we aren’t complaining, it’s fabulous. And apparently a lesson to not judge a cider before trying it.We visited their estate just north of Montreal a month ago, and it’s a beautiful spot made up like a mini village, with a spacious bottle shop, a bistro and tons of activities and baked goods to enjoy on the premises. And the staff were very eager to give us lots of samples. So definitely worth a visit!.
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime #cidreduquebec #jaimelecidreqc

Always a great day with a @niagaracider by your si

Always a great day with a @niagaracider by your side🌸We really enjoyed their latest release, the Blackberry Honry. Drier than some of their other ciders, it masterfully blends plump blackberries and crisp apples, with a subtle honey infusion.A fun summer sipper ideal for many different types of cider drinkers 🥰.
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime

Happy International Dog Day featuring Sterling and

Happy International Dog Day featuring Sterling and the strawberry, lavender and plum All Day by @revelcider ❤️🐾🍎Comment below with your cider dog’s names ❤️. Sterling is half of the @thecidercorgis with his sister Adelaide. They are hits on our cidery tours!And to promote Revel for a moment, they have a dog friendly taproom inside so bring your pups on their leashes and have a ball
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime

Strawberry ciders forever 🍓🍰 🎶Not sure

Strawberry ciders forever 🍓🍰 🎶Not sure why strawberries and cake are the best combination, but Alberta’s Core Values Shortcake @cvcider brings together these ingriedents in a cider, in such a beautiful, harmonious way. With added lactose to make this an even creamier base, it’s a delightful treat that makes us wish for an eternal strawberry season and therefore an eternal summer..
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Thanks to our cider friend @boneandbottlereviews f

Thanks to our cider friend @boneandbottlereviews for sharing with us an up and coming cider maker from upper NY State, @frostytwigcider, who is not producing commercially yet, but that is the goal in the near future.We got a few of their offerings, and they are firmly cemented in the wild ferment category. This one, the Apple & Pear intrigued us the most of the 4 we got. It had Flintstone Vitamins vibes to it?!? Very unique tasting notes indeed (and maybe a bit of nostalgia!)We look forward to when they become available to the public. Maybe a 90 minute drive for us maximum so a trip there soon too?.
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Drinking @1818farm_cidery Hop Garden is a delicate

Drinking @1818farm_cidery Hop Garden is a delicate fusion of old and new world cider making styles, with their own unique touches to make this a standout cider in the field.You get a dry, balanced apple base that doesn’t lean too sour, or acidic, but it certainly has those elements to a degree. Then you get the hops and ginger added, making it a modern cider. The hops are bold - they have a bunch of citrus bitterness and resin elements. You might even get pine/spruce notes like we did.And the ginger really sells this as a unique creation. The ginger migrates from the nose to the mouth to the back of the throat in a very definitive way. It’s spicy but it’s also earthy. It’s really an exploration of this root vegetable’s characteristics.This is our last of our 1818 Ciders, so we patiently await new vintages and offerings in the hopeful near future..
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#OntCider #Cider #OntarioCraftCider #613Cider #adultbeverages #alcohol #TOCider #cidre #sidra #ONCider #CanadianCider #GoodThingsGrowInOntario #glutenfree #glutenfreeontario #applecider #hardcider #craftcider #applewine #wine #drinks #happyhour #booze #pickcider #drinklocal #ciderlover #cidery #cidergram #ciderculture #cidertime

A serendipitous cider purchase this was - we bough

A serendipitous cider purchase this was - we bought this @quebradadelchucao, a cider maker from Chile, the same week that Chile was announced as the featured country at @ciderconference for 2025! 🇨🇱So naturally we had to dig into it. We’ve seen them on social media before, and we’re thrilled we tracked this down from Toronto bottle shop @bossanovato.The Brut is a lively sparkling cider, that is indeed extra dry and may even have a few effervescent carbonation notes enter the upper nose when first poured.You get a lot of bold elements upfront - a strong acidity, a puckering tartness, and some rudimentary funkiness. As these elements naturally dwindle, you get a lot of yeast esters that add unique fruit notes - interestingly enough we got mild pomegranate and grapefruit notes.It’s a very heavy-front cider, as the apples don’t stick around for overly long. But some cellaring notes come through at the finish.Can’t wait to see them at CiderCon and all the Chile producers in February! We loved what the Norwegians and Swedes brought to CiderCon 2024 ❤️Who will be at CiderCon? We have our plane tickets already ✈️. Something is in the works for Canadians and Canadian-philes so watch this space ❗️❗️🇨🇦

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CiderCon 2024
Cidery Tour: Front Road Cellars – Simcoe, ON [August 2022]
Cidery Tour: Brookers – Scotch Bush, ON [August 2022]
Cidery Tour: Two Blokes Cider, Port Perry, ON [April 2022]
Cidery Tour: Steel Town, Hamilton ON [April 2022]

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