Boredom ended up brewing a new career path for three Shuswap friends who first bonded over cocktails.
Shuswap Cider Co. owners Kailee Ramsell, Gena Ginn and Lindsay Wong met through work and started getting together for drinks and casual networking once a month, and eventually formalized and created the non-profit Shuswap Women Who Wine in 2018. Working together through that soon inspired them to take the next step.
"That's how we really got close and then in 2019 we were all really bored of our careers and we set a date to brainstorm businesses," Ramsell said, adding that Ginn suggested the cidery. "And we were like, yes, that sounds fun, let's do that."
Though they knew nothing about cider, other than they liked to drink it, the three enroled in "cider school" through Washington State University later that year.
"We thought if we did that we could get the overview of it and then decide whether we'd totally commit to it or not," Ginn added. "It gave us a little tiny peek at what it might be like, but of course... you have no idea what you're getting into."
What it ended up being is an award-winning endeavour featuring unique flavours such as Lavender Honey, Hibiscus Ginger and Peach & Petal, with ongoing experimentation inspired by local fruits, herbs and flowers.
"You look at what's out there in the industry and if there's a little gap you think, oh why has nobody made one of these, and you do some trials," Ginn said, with five new flavours they tried on Sept. 12.
"We've got some cool stuff coming," Ramsell said, including Strawberry Beet, Peach & Beet, Apple Ginger and Strawberry Basil.
They also plan to revisit their Maple & Oak Cider they created last year that ended up being "so delicious" and very popular in its trial run.
"With that oak, it was just really sort of sophisticated," Ginn described. "It was just sort of a higher class cider, it's sort of got that bit of whisky..."
"It's very wintry," Wong added of its seasonal appeal.
That cider was created by using a cinnamon sugar syrup left over from a different event, while inspiration also comes from the many farmers' markets Wong attends, including spruce tips that someone was selling for tea, and black garlic they paired with pineapple.
"She brings me lots of funny things from the farmers' markets," said Ramsell, the cidery's cider maker. "I just throw it in the tank and see what happens."
The trio has also partnered with Sunnybrae Vineyards & Winery for the last two years, making Ortega and Mar茅chal Foch ciders with their grapes. They make the wine to blend with their ciders on-site, but don't sell it on its own. They typically ferment everything rather than using juice to flavour the different ciders which, by definition, are all apple based of at least 50 per cent.
"Cider actually only refers to apples," Ramsell said. "So if you make it from pears it's called perry, if you make any other fruit, it's considered wine. I don't know why apples and pears are special... but if you ferment cherries it's cherry wine, blueberries is blueberry wine. Cider is just apples."
Now in their third year as cider entrepreneurs, they have survived COVID, the heat dome and wildfires. Additionally, after waiting seven to nine months for their liquor distribution licence to be approved, it came right when Ramsell gave birth to her son. Her "cider baby" came to work for the first eight months of his life since he was four days old, strapped to her chest as she made cider.
"We don't really know what a 'normal' season looks like," Ginn said of the beginning of their journey, which has been just as varied and flavourful as the ciders they produce.
Shuswap Cider Co. is one of numerous local producers of craft beer, cider and spirits taking part in today's (Saturday, Sept. 14) Shuswap Brewers Festival, from 3 to 7:30 p.m. at Northyards Cider Co., 3181-11 Ave. NE in Salmon Arm. The event is a fundraiser for the Salmon Arm Rescue Society. For tickets and more information, visit shuswapbrewersfest.com.
