Canadian Drinks: Beer, Icewine and Ice Cider

After the food and desserts, it’s time to talk about Canada’s drinks! Canada produces excellent beer and some unique alcoholic beverages, such as icewine and ice cider.

Beer, the National Drink

Canada has been a brewing country since the 18th century.

Molson Brewery, founded in Montreal in 1786, is one of the oldest breweries in North America. But since the 2000s, craft breweries have revolutionized beer consumption: hoppy IPAs, chocolate stouts, or even maple syrup beers… there’s something for every taste.

Icewine, a Canadian Source of Pride

Icewine is a Canadian specialty that emerged in the 1970s, when winemakers began pressing frozen grapes.

The cold concentrates the sugars, producing a sweet, rich, luscious wine. Ontario and British Columbia, particularly the Okanagan Valley, are the main producing regions.

Canada is now the world’s leading producer of icewine.

Ice Cider

Invented in the 1990s in Quebec, ice cider follows the same principle as icewine, but uses apples.

The fruit is either naturally frozen outdoors or frozen after harvesting, then pressed to produce an intensely concentrated juice.

The result is a sweet, fruity and tart beverage that is best enjoyed chilled.