Ice cider in the Eastern Townships: a unique Quebec specialty

Ice cider (cidre de glace in French) is a Quebec invention and one of the most distinctive specialty beverages in the Americas. It was created in the early 1990s by Christian Barthomeuf in Dunham, in the Eastern Townships, and has since spread across Quebec’s apple regions. Ice cider is now protected as a designation of origin under Quebec law — a status equivalent to an appellation d’origine contrôlée in France — and the Eastern Townships remain the heartland of production.

This guide explains what ice cider is, how it differs from ice wine and regular cider, the best cideries to visit in the Eastern Townships, and how to build a cider tasting tour that gets you beyond the surface.

What is ice cider?

Ice cider is made using the same principle as Germany’s eiswein — concentrating sugars in the fruit through freezing, then pressing and fermenting. The Quebec innovation was applying this to apples and developing two distinct techniques:

Cryoextraction

Apples are left on the tree through the autumn and early winter, freezing naturally in December when temperatures drop below -8°C. The frozen apples are then picked and pressed while still frozen. The water in the apples remains as ice crystals; the concentrated sugary juice flows out. This is considered the higher-end method and produces more complex cider.

Cryoconcentration

Harvest is done earlier (late September to October) when apples are ripe. The juice is extracted by normal pressing, then frozen. As the juice freezes slowly, water freezes first at the top and concentrated sugary juice pools below. The sugar-rich portion is drawn off and fermented. This method produces more cider per apple and is more common commercially.

Both methods result in a golden, concentrated, sweet but balanced beverage with 9-13% alcohol — close in style to Sauternes wine or icewine, but with distinctive apple character.

Ice cider vs. ice wine vs. pommeau

Three beverages often confuse visitors:

• Ice cider (cidre de glace): apples, freeze-concentrated, fermented. 9-13% alcohol. Quebec specialty.
• Ice wine (vin de glace / icewine): grapes, freeze-concentrated on vine, fermented. 10-13% alcohol. Primarily Ontario/Niagara in Canada; also Germany and Austria.
• Pommeau: fresh apple juice blended with apple brandy, aged in oak. 16-18% alcohol. Normandy tradition, now produced in Quebec too.

Ice cider sits between ice wine and a traditional dessert cider — drier than ice wine, fruitier, and unmistakably apple-forward.

Best ice cider producers in the Eastern Townships

Clos Saragnat (Frelighsburg)

The cidery of Christian Barthomeuf, the inventor of ice cider. Small-scale, organic, cryoextraction-only production. Limited production; tastings by appointment. This is the place for ice cider pilgrims.

Domaine Pinnacle (Frelighsburg)

The largest ice cider producer in Quebec and the brand most travellers will recognise. Sprawling orchard property with tasting room, guided tours, and multiple ice cider styles. Their “Domaine Pinnacle Ice Cider” is exported internationally and is a good introduction. Open daily in summer/fall.

Cidrerie du Minot (Hemmingford, technically Montérégie — on the route)

Classic cryoextraction producer with a range of ice ciders. Pretty farm setting; good for families. Open year-round.

Cidrerie Entre Pierre et Terre (Franklin)

Organic producer; known for their elegant, restrained ice cider style. Small tasting room.

Fleurs de Pommiers (Dunham)

Smaller, family-run cidery with innovative blends — including ice cider aged in whisky barrels. Worth visiting for something different.

Michel Jodoin (Rougemont)

Older cidery with ice cider and sparkling cider. Large tasting room, bottle shop, and charcuterie boards available.

Building a cider tasting route

The classic Eastern Townships cider loop starts in Montreal, runs south through the Montérégie to Frelighsburg, loops east to Dunham and Mystic, and returns via Bromont. It can be done as a full day (4-5 cideries) or extended over 2 days with overnight stays.

Classic 1-day route

• 9am: leave Montreal, drive south via Autoroute 10 then local roads to Frelighsburg (1h30 from Montreal).
• 10:30am: Clos Saragnat tasting (by appointment).
• 12pm: lunch at L’Oeuf in Mystic or at Domaine Pinnacle’s restaurant.
• 1:30pm: Domaine Pinnacle orchard tour + tasting.
• 3pm: Fleurs de Pommiers or Cidrerie du Minot.
• 4:30pm: drive to Bromont for dinner and overnight, or return to Montreal.

2-day route adds:

• Day 2 morning: Vignoble de l’Orpailleur (wine, not ice cider — a nice pairing).
• Day 2 afternoon: Cidrerie Entre Pierre et Terre + Michel Jodoin in Rougemont.
• Return to Montreal by evening.

Tasting tips

• Pace yourself: ice cider is 9-13% alcohol and full-bodied. Tastings at each cidery typically offer 3-5 small pours; after 3 cideries, that’s significant.
• Use a designated driver or hire a chauffeur service. Several operators run cider tours from Montreal.
• Buy where you taste: most cideries sell directly from the farm at lower prices than SAQ (Quebec liquor stores).
• Ask about production dates: 2019, 2020, and 2021 were excellent Quebec vintages; more recent vintages vary.
• Serving: ice cider is typically served chilled (8-10°C) as an apéritif or dessert pairing.

Food pairings

• Blue cheese (local Quebec blues like Bleu d’Élizabeth) — classic ice cider pairing.
• Foie gras: the apple sweetness complements the richness.
• Apple desserts — tarte Tatin, apple crumble.
• Charcuterie: smoked duck, pâté, dried sausage.
• Dark chocolate (70%+): particularly with sparkling ice cider.

What to buy

A 375ml bottle of ice cider typically costs $25-$45. Sparkling ice cider runs $30-$55. This is not a cheap beverage, but 375ml lasts multiple evenings.

Gift sets with ice cider, blue cheese, and maple products are common at cidery shops — a good Quebec-heritage gift package.

When to visit

• Year-round: all cideries have tasting rooms open at least part of the week.
• September-October: orchard visible with fruit, most atmospheric for visitors.
• January-March: the actual production season — some cideries allow cryoextraction demonstrations but it’s cold.
• Summer: outdoor terraces and picnic areas; great for lunch.

Combining with other Eastern Townships experiences

• Route des Vins: many Quebec wineries overlap with the cider route.
• Magog: good base for a 2-day trip.
• Parc du Mont-Orford: hiking and lake swimming between tastings.