Why We Started Hardcore Cider Co.

We love cider.

And when we looked at what was available in Canada, we realized: no one is using the best processes to create it.

So we decided to do it ourselves.

We started Hardcore Cider Co. to make modern craft cider using techniques and quality standards you won't find anywhere else in the industry—pressure fermentation, CO2 transfers, sterile filtration, clean label ingredients, and a focus on delicious, daily-drinking cider.

Here's our story.

It Started with the Orchards

We have two orchards and source from a third:

Estate Orchard in Kelowna

Our estate orchard in Kelowna was built specifically for cider production. We planted cider-specific apple varieties—Dabinett, Kingston Black, Golden Russet, among others—because we knew we wanted to make premium craft cider.

These aren't dessert apples. They're cider apples, bred for tannins, acidity, and complexity. And they're nearly impossible to find in Canada because availability is basically null.

So we planted our own.

We also grow strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and other fruit on the estate. When we make fruit ciders (Bad Raspberry, Strawberry Ciderita, Blackberry Black Hole), we use fruit we've grown ourselves whenever possible—very local, very fresh.

Organic Practices: Bees, Ladybugs, and No Harsh Chemicals

We follow organic processes as much as we can.

Our trees and fruit are not sprayed with harsh chemicals. Instead, we use natural pest control:

• Bees in the orchard for pollination and a healthy ecosystem
• Ladybugs for aphid control instead of chemical pesticides

We believe in working with nature, not against it. Healthy orchards produce better fruit, and better fruit makes better cider.

Orchard in Vernon (Where the Cidery Is)

We also manage another orchard in Vernon, where our cidery is located. This gives us access to more fruit and allows us to blend cider-specific varieties with dessert apples to create modern, balanced cider.

Sourcing from Lake Country

We also source apples from another orchard in Lake Country. We're open to further partnerships with growers—as long as quality is the top priority.

We're selective about who we work with because we're not willing to compromise on fruit quality.

The Problem: No One Was Using the Best Process

We love cider. But when we looked at how most cider is made—even "craft" cider—we saw a lot of shortcuts:

• Dessert apples only (Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp) instead of cider-specific varieties. Dessert apples lack the tannins and acidity needed for complex cider.
• Apple concentrate trucked in from who-knows-where
• Artificial flavours to cover up poor-quality ingredients
• Added sugar to make it sweeter and more palatable
• 1000-litre IBC totes for fermentation – These are cheap and easy, but they're often dirty, have been used for previous chemicals, and are full of oxygen inside. Not ideal for quality cider.
• Unfiltered cider that's pasteurized – Pasteurization means heating the cider, which kills flavour and freshness. And our palate is not drinking a murky swamp—we prefer crystal clear cider.

We knew we could do better.

Our Process: Taking the Best from Both Worlds

We make cider using premium wine methods combined with modern brewery techniques.

We take the best from both worlds:

• From wine: Premium fruit selection, blending, barrel aging, sterile filtration and attention to detail
• From breweries: Pressure fermentation, CO2 transfers to eliminate oxygen and carbonation

No other cidery in Canada is known to be using this approach.

1. Pressure Fermentation (Game Changer)

We use pressure fermentation, which is a game changer for cider quality.

Most cideries ferment in 1000-litre IBC totes at atmospheric pressure. The problem? IBC totes are often dirty, have been used for previous chemicals, and allow oxygen inside.

Pressure fermentation in stainless steel tanks keeps everything sealed, prevents oxidation, and produces cleaner, crisper cider with better carbonation retention.

No other cidery in Canada is known to be using this technique.

The trade-off? It costs a lot more. It takes a lot more time. And it requires specialized equipment, which limits the quantity we can produce.

But we did it anyway because quality is our top priority.

2. CO2 Transfers to Eliminate Oxygen

We use CO2 transfers throughout the entire production process—just like modern breweries.

That means no oxygen exposure from fermentation to bottling. Oxygen is cider's enemy. It causes oxidation, stale flavours, and loss of freshness.

By using CO2 transfers and closed systems, we preserve the bright, fresh fruit character of our cider.

3. Cryo Hops

For Unhazy Hopped, we use cryo hops—concentrated hop pellets that deliver intense aroma and flavour without the bitterness or vegetal character of traditional hops.

Cryo hops give us clean, aromatic citrus and stone fruit notes that complement the apricot and apple base.

4. Sterile Filtration (Not Pasteurization)

Here's where we differ from most cideries:

Most cider is pasteurized—heated to kill yeast and bacteria. The problem? Pasteurization kills flavour and freshness. 

We use sterile filtration instead. This gives us crystal clear cider that's stable and fresh without heat treatment.  And our palate does not drinking a murky swamp.

Sterile filtration is a level of quality you don't find anywhere else in craft cider. It's a premium wine method applied to cider.

5. No Pasteurization

We don't pasteurize our cider. Pasteurization kills flavour and freshness.

Instead, we use sterile filtration and crown caps with oxygen absorber liners to keep our cider fresh and stable without heat treatment.

6. Clean Label Ingredients

We use clean label ingredients—nothing you can't pronounce, nothing artificial.

Here's what goes into our cider:

• 100% Okanagan apples from our orchards
• Real BC fruit (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, apricots) grown on our estate using organic practices
• Cryo hops (for Unhazy Hopped)
• Oak barrels (for Whiskey Barrel Proof and Blackberry Black Hole)
• Sulphites (added at the end as an extra safety precaution to preserve freshness)

That's it. No concentrates. No artificial flavours. No harsh chemicals.

Why We Invested in Quality (Even Though It Costs More)

Here's the reality: our process costs a lot more, takes a lot more time, and requires specialized equipment.

Pressure fermentation vessels are expensive. Sterile filtration systems are expensive. CO2 transfer equipment is expensive.

And because we use specialized equipment, we're limited in the quantity we can produce. We can't just scale up and make thousands of cases like cideries using IBC totes.  Even better quality variable stainless steel wine tanks are not alow to be pressurizied.  

But we did it anyway because quality is our top priority.

We're not trying to make the cheapest cider. We're trying to make the best cider.

Our Philosophy: Modern Cider, Daily Drinking, Delicious

We're not trying to make traditional English-style dry cider. And we're not making candy-sweet mass-market cider.

We're making modern cider that's:

• Balanced – We blend cider-specific varieties (Dabinett, Kingston Black, Golden Russet) with dessert apples to create cider that's complex but approachable.
• Delicious – Our cider tastes good. It's not overly dry, not overly sweet. It's just right.
• Daily drinking – You can drink our cider every day. It's not a special-occasion beverage. It's meant to be enjoyed regularly.

We want to make cider that people actually want to drink, not cider that sits on a shelf because it's too dry or too sweet.  We want to convert those beer or winer drinkers who have never had a good cider before to change.  The results are in the taste.  

Why We Don't Have a Tasting Room

We almost built a tasting room. We even secured a liquor licence for it.

But we realized: running a tasting room would pull us away from what we do best—making exceptional cider.

We'd rather spend our time in the orchards, in the cidery, perfecting our process, and making the best cider we can.

So we shelved the tasting room plans and focused on the cider itself. We ship across Canada, we travel to select markets and festivals, and we let the cider speak for itself.

What Drives Us

Here's what keeps us going:

1. The Orchards

We love growing apples and fruit. We love being in the orchards, tending to the trees, watching the fruit develop, and harvesting at the perfect time.

We love seeing the bees pollinate the blossoms and the ladybugs keep aphids in check. It's all part of a healthy ecosystem that produces better fruit.

The orchards are where it all starts. Without great fruit, you can't make great cider.

2. The Process

We love the craft of making cider—pressure fermentation, CO2 transfers, sterile filtration, blending, barrel aging, bottling.

We're constantly refining our process, experimenting with new techniques, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in craft cider.

3. The People

We love hearing from customers who appreciate what we're doing. People who understand the difference between craft cider and mass-produced alternatives. People who care about quality, transparency, and supporting small producers.

What We're Building

We're not trying to be the biggest cidery in the Okanagan. We're trying to be the best.

We're building a small, land-based operation that:

• Grows cider-specific apple varieties (Dabinett, Kingston Black, Golden Russet) and real BC fruit using organic practices
• Uses bees for pollination and ladybugs for aphid control—no harsh chemical sprays
• Sources apples from quality-focused partner orchards in Lake Country (and is open to further partnerships where quality is the top priority)
• Uses premium wine methods combined with modern brewery techniques (pressure fermentation, CO2 transfers, sterile filtration)
• Invests in quality even though it costs more, takes more time, and limits quantity
• Makes delicious, balanced, daily-drinking cider with clean label ingredients
• Delivers crystal clear cider—not a murky swamp

We're not chasing trends. We're not trying to be everything to everyone. We're just trying to make honest, delicious cider using the best process available.

Try It for Yourself

The best way to understand what we're doing is to try it for yourself.

Order a bottle. Taste the difference. Notice the freshness, the clarity, the balance, the carbonation.

That's what taking the best from wine methods and brewery techniques can do.

If you want to try our full lineup, we offer a Cider Club with three deliveries per year (Spring, Summer, Fall). You get 2 bottles of each of our 6 ciders, free Canada-wide shipping, and premium tasting notes with every delivery.

Learn more about Cider Club.

The Bottom Line

We started Hardcore Cider Co. because we love cider, and we wanted to make it using the best process available.

We planted cider-specific apple varieties in Kelowna and grow real BC fruit using organic practices—bees for pollination, ladybugs for aphid control, no harsh chemical sprays.

We manage an orchard in Vernon where our cidery is located. We source apples from Lake Country and are open to further quality-focused partnerships.

We use premium wine methods combined with modern brewery techniques: pressure fermentation, CO2 transfers to eliminate oxygen, sterile filtration for crystal clear cider (not pasteurized murky swamp), and clean label ingredients with sulphites added as a safety precaution.

We invested in specialized equipment even though it costs more, takes more time, and limits our quantity—because quality is our top priority.

We're making modern cider that's balanced, delicious, and meant for daily drinking.

Try it for yourself. We think you'll taste the difference.

—Hardcore Cider Co.

100% Okanagan apples. Real BC fruit. No shortcuts.