Cideries on the Sunshine Coast

BC's Sunshine Coast is home to a thriving cider scene. You'll find four cideries between Gibsons and Sechelt, each offering their own spin on this centuries-old craft—from wine-forward varieties to crisp and juicy classics. Then, there are the orchards themselves. They function as vibrant community hubs, where you can taste the harvest, enjoy music and events, and spend time with friends and family.

Delight your tastebuds and add these cideries to your next trip itinerary.
 

Brickers Cider, Sechelt

West Sechelt features undulating hills that slope down the banks of the Sechelt Inlet overlooking the water. Tucked between the streets of this quiet and rural neighborhood is Brickers Cider (a.k.a. The Bricker Cider Company), a family owned- and operated cidery. Here, you'll find a lineup of ciders that range more traditional in taste, from the clean, sessionable Original to the tropical, dry-hopped Cascadia. There's a tart Frambo made with BC raspberries, and an Earl Grey steeped for notes of citrus, vanilla, and caramel. True to their promise of keeping things crisp, dry, and locally sourced, Brickers also rotates through more than 20 seasonal ciders a year, from a barrel-aged pear to peaches and cream, earl grey, and lavender, to name a few.

Settle in on the covered garden patio overlooking the orchard (there are blankets available to use) and indulge in a glass or flight of cider. Grab a bite from The Shed, the on-site kitchen dishing out hot food like pizzas, mussels, and grilled cheese, along with build-your-own charcuterie selections and salads. Kids and dogs are welcome throughout, making this three-acre farm easy to love and hard to leave.

Banditry Cider, Gibsons

This sprawling cidery brings together an outdoor tasting area, on-site cantina that serves up a rotating selection of dishes, and a duck pond for a truly magical time. Families in need of space for their little ones to roam will find a grassy area, wildlife to check out, and a meandering natural playground home to bridges, water features, and trees. Cider lovers will find easy-drinking varieties, from the juicy Cheeky Pash to the Bramble and Bine, tinted with some of the Coast's most ubiquitous locally grown ingredients. The berry-forward Raspberry Lemonade and Strawberry Rhubarb bring a touch of sweetness from the fruit with an off-dry finish, while the funky and wild Rosa pours slightly different in every glass.

Don't miss out on one of Banditry Cider's infamous gatherings, from their end-of-season community bash to every event in between, including a Father's Day celebration, a kids'-focused Teddy Bear Picnic, social shakeout runs every Thursday in summer, and more!

Persephone Brewing, Gibsons

Okay sure, this one's a brewery. But, with on-tap cider, spirits, and cocktails available, plus a gorgeous orchard setting, we can safely say Persephone Brewing defies the brewery label. Their cider is made entirely from BC-grown apples and dry-hopped to give it a slight off-dry taste. Then, there are the seasonal blends: a winter-forward cider made using a unique blend of winter spices; the rhubarb-ginger, which is conditioned for weeks at hand, resulting in a slightly sweet on-the-nose varietal; and finally, the watermelon-forward cider using mint grown on-site.

Grab a glass or a flight, and take your drink outside on the 11-acre farm to drink amongst the bucolic surroundings, where kids and leashed dogs are also welcome. You can also grab a meal, visit the bookstore (located upstairs), or peruse the work of the artist-in-residence. (All reasons why Persephone is hard to pin down as just a brewery.) There are also plenty of events to check out at Persephone, from live music to games days to knitting club meetups. 

Sunday Cider, Gibsons

Sunday Cider offers some of the most creative cider-making in BC. What started as a side venture in the basement of Sunday's co-owner's restaurant on the only day they were closed—hence the name, Sunday—has now become a beloved cidery and social hub. On weekends and summer nights, you'll find live music, movie screenings, coffee by Sea Monkey Coffee Co., and a variety of pop-up food vendors offering everything from tacos to Indian cuisine. There's fun merch, juice boxes and Sunday Soda for the kids and alcohol-free drinkers, and snacks to take away and eat on the picnic grounds.

As for the cider, there's the classic Sunday Session, a juicy tropical-forward cider that's been slow fermented with a Champagne yeast from 100% fresh-pressed BC apples. The wine series brings techniques like fermenting apples with skin-contact grapes to produce something closer to natural wines and sparkling pet-nats. Then, there are other experimental ciders on offer like the Fraizy, which uses organically grown strawberries from Sunday's neighbours at Grounded Acres Farm, or the Ciquette, which is made with apple pomaces fermented with honey.