Move over beer and wine—we taste-tested 10 funky ciders

If you’ve invited friends for a fun cottage weekend, but the “fun” in question includes building a shed, you’re going to want to stock up on Applewood Farm Winery’s Pear and Crabapple Cider. This is a delicious, easy-drinking cider that’s not too dry, not too sweet, and perfect for a diverse group of workers…um, make that friends. Applewood Farm Winery products are available at their Seagrave, Ont., orchard and online.

Ernest Cider’s Rosé Cranberry Cherry Light Cider Spritzer is bone dry, tart, and refreshing. It’s an ideal choice for anyone who loves a “frozé” or sangria but doesn’t want anything sugary-sweet. Testers also loved the pretty design on the cans. Ernest Cider products are available at the LCBO, at their farm in Bond Head, Ont., and through their website.

Kings Mill Cider offers a wide range of sparkling and still ciders, but nothing stands out quite like their jalapeño cider! To say it’s a bold flavour would be an understatement. When asked how exactly they came up with the idea of putting jalapeño into a cider, they said: “Kees Morsink (our head cider maker and foodie) had the idea…we were making pizzas with jalapeños and wondered what it would taste like. We made a sample batch, and we all found it too hot, so we found a low-heat jalapeño called Tam and grew them the next season to create our jalapeño cider with full flavour and minimal heat.”  Kings Mill products are available at their Stirling, Ont., shop and through their website.

Does your cottage have an annual games weekend? Perhaps even a murder-mystery night? The black currant-infused Crimson Tide fromSpy Cider House and Distillery is a spooktacular pairing. The company’s spy-themed packaging is awesome and Piers Roberts, Spy’s cider maker, says that people trying Crimson Tide for the first time are “pleasantly surprised with the balance and body of the liquid and, of course, the sophisticated colour.”  Spy Cider House and Distillery products are available at the LCBO, their Blue Mountain, Ont., shop, and through their website.

There’s nothing nicer than a cottage invitation. Hounds of Erie Winery’s Sassy Bitch cider is the perfect way to say thank you to your hosts. Everyone will love the combination of apple and raspberry, along with the fact that this dog-friendly company is dedicated to sustainability. (Taste testers also loved the fun name! Cidermaker Mat Vaughan says that they are surrounded by a creative community and can’t attribute the cheeky moniker to any one person.) Hounds of Erie products are available at their Clear Creek, Ont., property and online.

Thornbury’s Spiced Apple Cider is the ideal autumn-inspired drink for the last weekend of the season. Rich notes of caramel and butterscotch make for a sweet sip around the final bonfire. Taste-testers also loved the idea of drizzling it over vanilla ice cream. Thornbury products are available at the LCBO, select grocery stores, at their Thornbury, Ont., shop, and through their website.

If your experience with watermelon flavours is the sweet intensity of Jolly Rancher candies, Ernest’s Watermelon Mint Light Spritzer will blow you away. This tart, mint-forward cider spritzer is incredibly refreshing and a lovely choice for hanging out by the water.

Ever since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had a lemon and elderflower cake at their nuptials, the gentle flavour of elderflower has been a huge wedding trend. Thornbury’s Wild Blueberry Elderflower Apple Cider is a crowd-pleasing choice for your own cottage celebrations and has a jaunty pink colour that will pop in photos.

If any guests claim that you can only get good cider at a proper English pub, hand them a can of Ernest’s Small Batch Perfectly Peared Cider. Anyone who loves a classic brand like Strongbow will appreciate this cider, and taste-testers felt it had an authentic, old-fashioned flavour.

Ernest’s Wild Blueberry Cider is sweetened with local honey and has a gentle blueberry flavour. The gorgeous light purple-ish colour makes it a standout for social media snaps, especially after you load the glass with fresh berries, apple slices, and perhaps a sprig or two of pineapple sage for garnish. Cheers!