Persevering with on with our #friendsinbeerplaces highway journey, the Brit and I visited two tasting rooms whereas on the Sunshine Coast (a.ok.a. Brewer’s Coast) leg of the journey which can be distinctive in location and objective: The Bricker Cider Firm and Persephone Brewing. They’ve the fields of goals. (Don’t fear I gained’t use the quote!)

As quickly as I get to the Sunshine Coast, my complete being chills the **** out. This additionally occurs on Vancouver Island. Your entire vibe adjustments, and all of it makes me really feel like we have to transfer there, and shortly. Add a glass of one thing beautiful to my hand, or getting me strolling by means of a area or forest and I’m in heaven.

However I digress; let me let you know all about why that you must go wander the fields at Bricker Cider and Persephone Brewing. Or on the very least, sit and admire them whereas sipping and chatting.

Prime Tip: In case you’re eager to have some peace and quiet and get these Instagram pictures in, go early. Like for opening or at a non-peak time (Google maps will help with this). That manner, you get a great spot for having fun with your drinks and meals, and you’ll seize your wander by means of the picturesque fields with out interruption.

The Bricker Cider Firm

The very first thing you need to find out about Bricker Cider is that it’s 100% household owned and operated. Which instantly makes me need to help them. They named their cidery for his or her grandmother, so you understand these are good folks.

Till not too long ago, I wasn’t actually a fan of cider, presumably as a result of any ciders I had tasted previous to then had been within the UK. ( And so they aren’t my favorite – a lot too candy. Once I’m within the UK, give me a pint of stout, a glass of Pinot Noir or a G&T.) However I’m happy to say that Doc the bear (the Bricker Cider mascot) modified my thoughts, and the Bricker Frambo is one in all my new favorite drinks. Clearly, I’m meant to be consuming craft cider, not Strongbow.

Prime Tip: Bricker Cider is 100% gluten-free and it’s as pure in elements as you could possibly ever want for: BC apples and yeast. That’s it. So for all my Celiac/gluten-sensitive and non-beer consuming gals, that is for you! You’re welcome.

We have been hosted by the beautiful Nova (an excellent cool gal), and he or she gave The Brit and I a lesson in liquor licensing. Bricker is licensed as a vineyard (as a result of our province must meet up with the instances and replace the foundations to incorporate cideries…), which implies they’re hampered by a algorithm that don’t actually make sense.

The Cole’s Notes model is that their licensing solely permits them to serve flights and tasters indoors, however folks can purchase bottles and growlers and take them exterior to the backyard – with glasses offered by the tasting room. You may as well take your flight exterior. That is due to a loophole picnic endorsement within the liquor legal guidelines – so the federal government isn’t actually taking away all of the enjoyable, however the tasting room factor is a bit bizarre.

You may take a look at my flight of Unique, Hopped, and Frambo dry ciders and marvel why I didn’t take an image of it when the glasses have been full. Nicely, that’s them as full-up as they’re allowed to be. The aforementioned liquor legal guidelines state that the tasting room can solely pour as much as 5fl oz of samples per particular person, per day within the tasting room. It’s such a weird algorithm. However I digress.

The June climate was extra spring than summer-like after we have been there, however I desperately wished that I used to be sporting a flowy peasant gown and had a flower crown on whereas I used to be wandering the three acres of timber, glass in hand. Subsequent time!

The tasting room is extraordinarily cosy however get a desk exterior whereas the summer season climate remains to be upon us.  (And ensure to take an image with Doc earlier than you allow!) They’ve a meals truck on website and persons are welcome to carry their very own meals. We left understanding we’ll return within the close to future, with extra time to spare, so we are able to purchase a growler and benefit from that picnic endorsement.

Location: 6642 Norwest Bay Rd, Sechelt | Internet: brickerscider.com

Persephone Brewing

As a result of we have been extremely spoiled on this journey, we went from one area of goals to a different. After checking in at our Airbnb (which was tremendous cute and had a fab view), we took a taxi to Persephone Brewing to satisfy up with their Tasting Room Supervisor, Roo. (Who, as a former theatre main, understood the significance of his function in my pictures and Instagram tales. Thanks!)

Persephone Brewing is situated in Gibsons, and there are such a lot of issues to speak about – however in a nutshell? They aren’t solely a brewery with a reasonably area and a kick-ass pizza oven. They’re an 11-acre totally operational farm with two hop yards, an apple orchard, one very massive market backyard and a flock of laying hens. And let’s not neglect the honey bees. It’s type of like “The 12 Days of Christmas”. Oh, and it’s all natural. Do you hear the angels singing? I did.

I just like the title of this brewery as a result of it honours not solely the boat from the CBC basic TV present, The Beachcombers (which was filmed in Gibsons), but additionally for the goddess Persephone of Greek mythology. Persephone had a little bit of a cleaning soap opera life – she was kidnapped by Hades to be his spouse within the underworld, and that was the least of it – however she was worshipped by agricultural communities and is usually portrayed in paintings with a sheaf of grain. (Applicable, proper?)

PBC (as they name the farm) are doing the appropriate issues to worship her, as a result of I swear we had a salad’s value of vegetation on our tour. Roo saved handing us scrumptious issues to style. I’m an enormous fan of kale, and so they have probably the most stunning rows of it. And the beer could be very flavourful and recent.

It’s no marvel, since they compost all their brewing and meals scraps to make the fertiliser for the gardens, hops, and orchard. Oh and the grain they’ve began rising. (You don’t have any concept how mind-blowing this place is…) That is farm-to-table at its greatest. For extra data on this and PBC’s group initiatives, click on right here.

Let’s get again to the the beer for a second. Persephone is one in all few craft breweries I’ve been to that retains a darkish beer on faucet in the course of the summer season. So I like them as a lot as I like their Nitro Stout and Black Lager. And the pesto pizza. Good factor, too, as they solely make one flavour a day, with their very own veggies and different regionally sourced elements.

We got a tour of your entire property, and might I let you know? These angels didn’t cease singing till we needed to depart. They really began crying.

Location:  1053 Stewart Rd, Gibsons | Internet: persephonebrewing.com

Thanks to Bricker Cider and Persephone Brewing for internet hosting the Brit and I at their tasting rooms, and to Townsite Brewing for liaising and connecting us. As at all times, opinions are my very own.  

“I work laborious within the orchard, not for the cash anymore, however for one thing I can’t clarify. One thing value greater than cash.” ~ Steven Herrick, A Place Like This