An cidery located in the eastern region of Newfoundland is opting to enhance the flavor of its effervescent drinks by submerging them beneath the ocean’s surface. The Newfoundland Cider Company, situated in George’s Brook-Milton, initiated this unique process in 2024 by placing 24 bottles in the Atlantic Ocean, introducing a new product line named High Tide. Recently, they repeated the submersion for a second consecutive year.
Founder Chris Adams described the submerged cider as a fusion of the ocean’s essence on the outside and the orchard’s essence on the inside, creating a harmonious blend of land and sea flavors. Upon retrieval, the bottles are adorned with salt, sand, barnacles, algae, and marine life like sea stars, showcasing the distinctive characteristics acquired during their time underwater.
Adams emphasized the importance of respecting marine life during this process, ensuring that all creatures encountered during the submersion are unharmed. The bottles are deliberately left with algae and barnacles intact to preserve the unique experience of tasting the High Tide cider.
The decision to age the cider underwater was inspired by the use of wild apples and yeast in their cider production, with Adams drawing inspiration from wineries that age their wines at sea. The underwater aging process imparts a distinct sea aroma to the cider, offering consumers a novel tasting experience while still retaining the essence of traditional apple cider.
While acknowledging the challenges of submerging the cider, Adams explained the use of sealed milk crates deployed from a boat as the primary method, highlighting the element of uncertainty and anticipation in this unconventional aging process.
Jean-Benoit Deslauriers, the head winemaker at Benjamin Bridge in Nova Scotia, a winery with experience in ocean-aging wine, emphasized the mysterious nature of how underwater aging affects alcoholic beverages. He highlighted the benefits of consistent temperatures and the absence of ultraviolet light underwater in preserving the quality of beverages.
Despite facing setbacks during their most recent attempt due to inclement weather, Adams remains committed to further exploring the underwater aging process, aiming for a smoother operation in the future by selecting calmer sea locations and implementing anchoring systems for stability.
The experimentation with ocean-aging cider has provided valuable insights and challenges for the Newfoundland Cider Company, paving the way for innovative approaches in the realm of beverage production.