Easter Bunny Fun at Merridale Cidery

Any three-day weekend is a great opportunity for more family time. Especially when it’s Easter and the Easter Bunny is threatening to help you colour the eggs while training for the copious quantities of chocolate which will undoubtedly play prominently in this event.

But more importantly, Easter is all about friends and family gatherings to, as you guessed; eat, drink and make merry.

Lots of folk enjoy feasting on an old-fashioned traditional turkey meal while some people like to prepare a ham while others may choose to venture outside tradition and opt for ethnic or contemporary fare.

Whatever is planned for your Easter feast, most of us enjoy a drink alongside. But for this Easter, why not try something new in the beverage department and introduce your gang to local cider as a delicious meal-pairing beverage?

Cider is a versatile workhorse. Its low alcohol and interestingly the carbonation adds a light element to most heavy meals. Refreshingly, the natural acidity prepares the palate for each new bite.

Four ciders from the Merridale Cidery in Cowichan Valley deserving a mention; The Traditional, House, House Dry and Scrumpy pair extraordinarily well with meals and all are available at Lucky’s.

When you plan your pairings, try thinking about how the food would taste with the fruit in the cider. Pork (ham) and apples are natural together. Ham has a natural, often rich, sweetness, so choose a crisp cider that is not super dry.

The House cider from Merridale will not only cleanse your palate between bites but the complimentary apple flavour will elevate the taste of the ham.

Thinking about something tart and sweet, a tart cranberry sauce with your turkey would call for a dry tart cider like Merridale’s House Dry.

Sweetness can be tricky with food pairings. The residue of a sweet cider in the mouth can make a tart sauce unbearably sour, or vice versa. If your cranberry sauce is sweet, use a sweeter cider like the Traditional.

For a non-traditional feast offerings like chicken, salmon or vegetarian plates, choose the Merridale House Dry or House cider.

If your feast is spicy, then go for the Traditional. Rich in texture and nicely sweet, it balances out spicy flavours really nicely.

Save the Scrumpy to accompany dessert. This sweet, unctuous cider is higher than the others in alcohol and is a perfect treat with sweets.

Over the Easter Weekend, From Friday, March 30th,2018 until Monday, April 2nd, Merridale Cidery is hosting an Easter Word Scavenger Hunt for the kids which is a must for bunny fans of all ages.

From 11AM until 5PM, families can participate in a romp around the cidery grounds, picking up word clues to win a prize. On Saturday and Sunday, you can enjoy the excellent brunch on the glass-enclosed patio overlooking the orchards. With cider, of course.                                                                                                                                    

Happy Easter, everyone!

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