Two Okanagan Producers. One Shared Standard.

Barrel Proof exists because of a relationship between two Okanagan producers who share the same obsession: doing things the right way, with local ingredients, and zero shortcuts.

We source our whiskey barrels from Okanagan Spirits — one of BC's premier craft distilleries, based right here in the valley. The same barrels that aged their award-winning Canadian whiskey are the ones we use to age Barrel Proof.

This isn't a marketing partnership. It's a practical collaboration built on shared values and proximity.

Why Barrel Source Matters

Used barrels can be contaminated. If a barrel sits too long after being emptied, or comes from an unknown source, you're risking off-flavours and spoilage — Brettanomyces, Acetobacter, mold. Problems you can't always see but will definitely taste.

By sourcing freshly dumped barrels directly from Okanagan Spirits, we eliminate all of it. We know exactly what was in every barrel we use, when it was dumped, and that it's free from contamination. We pay more for this. It's worth it.

The Devil's Cut

Freshly dumped barrels are saturated with whiskey — absorbed deep into the oak staves during aging. Distillers call this the Devil's Cut: the whiskey that can't be poured out.

When we fill these barrels with cider, the Okanagan Valley's temperature swings — hot days, cool nights — cause the oak to expand and contract. This cycling extracts the whiskey from deep within the staves, releasing it into the cider along with oak tannins, vanilla, and caramel compounds. Months of extraction. Not surface flavour — depth.

What It Produces

Barrel Proof is the result: 100% Okanagan apple cider aged in freshly dumped Okanagan Spirits whiskey barrels. Oak tannins. Vanilla. Caramel. Subtle whiskey warmth. The Devil's Cut, present but not overpowering.

Smooth, bold, and unlike any other cider you've tried.

Two Okanagan Producers, One Valley

Okanagan Spirits has been making award-winning craft spirits in the valley since 2004. We've been making cider since 2023. Different products, same commitment to local ingredients and craft without compromise.

The collaboration is simple: they make exceptional whiskey, we make exceptional cider, and the barrels that connect the two produce something neither of us could make alone.

Get Barrel Proof in Your Case

Barrel Proof is a limited release — one harvest, one batch, finite supply. The best way to make sure you get it is to Build Your Case and load up on Barrel Proof before it sells out. Choose your own mix of 12 bottles for one flat price of $215.

— Hardcore Cider Co.
100% Okanagan apples. Real BC fruit. No shortcuts.