Rekorderlig – Passionfruit Cider [Bier Markt]

Bar Review: Rekorderlig Passionfruit Cider – Bier Markt, Ottawa, ON
Sampled: April 2016

If you ever want to be overwhelmed with choice, head to Bier Markt. With dozens upon dozens of types of beers – on draught and canned – the possibilities are almost endless. Bier Markt is a German-inspired restaurant chain, found in Ottawa, Toronto and various other locations, that offers multiple styles of beer, and a more limited selection of cider. One of the newer draught offerings for cider they have currently, that is considered a ‘cameo’ tap as it will only be available a limited time, is the Swedish import, Rekorderlig Passionfruit Premium Cider.

Rekorderlig ciders tend to be incredibly refreshing and focus on lesser-used fruits and floral flavours; as well as interesting flavour combinations. A few years back, we were very impressed with their Elderflower Cider that we unfortunately haven’t been able to find for a while now. Currently at the LCBO, you can find their Strawberry Lime and Wild Berries ciders that are ideal for large gatherings on warm summer days. We were very intrigued when we saw that their Passionfruit cider was available at Bier Markt as it is not advertised as available in Canada currently.

The Passionfruit cider itself is very light coloured, an almost frosty white/pale yellow hue. It has a very faint tropical fruit smell, with a lot of big bubble carbonation. The initial taste is very sweet and light, that produces a crisp tingle in the mouth. It does have a slight artificial sweetener taste to it, but it is reminiscent of a white freezie, with hints of melon that emerged. The aftertaste is more natural tasting and feeling, with a more authentic passion fruit taste coming to life. It becomes less sweet, with hints of citrus and a somewhat dry finish.

While there has been some debate amongst some cider fans online whether Rekorderling is a ‘true’ cider, we believe it is a refreshing drink that can act as a gateway for new fans to more ‘authentic’ pure apple ciders. It is tropical, fun and light and breazy to drink and it would make for a great summer drink. It will only be available at Bier Markts for a limited time, so we recommend you give it a chance if you’re a fan of the other Rekorderlig flavours and enjoy it the refreshing drink it is, regardless.