Birds and the Bees Sparkling Cider

Birds and bees are a welcome sign of spring, and we thought we'd pay tribute to the pollination season with a cider in their honour. Our farm-crafted apple cider is blended with Vancouver Island wildflower honey and lemon eau de vie for a zesty finish buzzing with goodness. Raise a glass to a springtime delight!

How We Make This Cider

Birds & the Bees combines the best of British Columbian apples, zesty lemon notes and local honey. First, we mill and juice the apples, then add champagne yeast to begin fermentation. While fermentation takes place, we peel hundreds of lemons and soak them in spirits from our neighbours at Victoria Distillers to create an eau de vie. When fermentation is complete, we infuse the cider base with the lemon eau de vie and local Vancouver Island honey. The result is a fresh, warm cider that reminds us of the magic of spring.

Tasting Notes & Food Pairings 

• Appearance: Clear, straw colour, bright
• Aromas/Flavours: Lemon, honey, apple
• Acid/Sweetness: Pronounced acidity, semi-sweet
• Mouthfeel: Minimal astringency, gently effervescent

Food pairings: With its citrus honey notes it pairs beautifully with sweet treats, from pound cake to lemon tarts or honey crullers. Alternatively, for a savoury pairing try
chicken scallopini with a lemon cream sauce for the perfect citrus union.

Good to Know

• 9.9% ABV
• 750 ml clear champagne glass with crown cap + flip top for re-closure
  
• Produced on-site in Saanichton, BC, Canada

Awards

• 2023 GOLD - GLINTCAP (Specialty Cider & Perry)
• 2021 SILVER - GLINTCAP (Specialty Cider & Perry)
• 2020 PLATINUM - Sip Magazine / Best of the Northwest
  

Canadian Invasion Series

Healthy land is imperative for orchards and natural areas to thrive, not just for Sea Cider, but for all of us. We all need productive agricultural land to help feed our communities, and this means having healthy and natural areas to provide a balanced ecosystem with clean air, carbon sequestration and habitat for wildlife. At Sea Cider, we pay close attention to the connection between our orchard and the surrounding areas. Our farm comprises both orchard and forest. Our orchard benefits from our forest, which provides wind protection and habitat for birds which feed on harmful insects; while our orchard provides flowers and sunshine for indigenous insects such as mason bees to thrive.

This symbiotic relationship is threatened by invasive plants. On the west coast, well-known invaders include the Himalayan Blackberry, Scotch Broom, English Ivy and Daphne. These tenacious plants take over land, pushing out indigenous species and degrading ecosystems. When such invasive species are present on farms and in forests, they inhibit the growth of more beneficial plants, and they degrade soil quality.

To raise funds and awareness, Sea Cider has created the Canadian Invasion Series. Each cider in the series is made by pressing the best of BC’s apples, fermenting the juice with champagne yeast, and then infusing the cider with fruit, botanicals and other ingredients from Sea Cider's farm, forest and surrounding BC farms. With community at its core, Sea Cider supports local non-profits improving our environmental health thanks to sales from the Canadian Invasion Series.

Products in the Canadian Invasion Series include, in preferred tasting order: Wolf in the Woods; Ruby Rose; Birds and the Bees; Sassamanash; Bramble Bubbly; Cherry Lane; Witch's Broom.