A cidery located in the eastern part of Newfoundland has taken a unique approach to enhancing the flavors of its beverages by submerging them beneath the ocean waves. The Newfoundland Cider Company, based in George’s Brook-Milton, initiated this experiment in 2024 by placing 24 bottles of cider in the Atlantic Ocean, introducing a new line named High Tide. The company repeated this process for a second 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 elements. Upon retrieval, the bottles are adorned with salt, sand, barnacles, algae, and marine life like sea stars, illustrating the distinctive impact of their underwater journey.
Adams emphasized the preservation of marine life during the process, ensuring that creatures like starfish and fish living around the crates remain unharmed. The bottles are intentionally left with algae and barnacles intact to provide consumers with the full sensory experience of High Tide.
The decision to submerge the cider stemmed from the cidery’s use of wild apples and yeast, with inspiration drawn from wineries aging wine underwater. The submerged cider offers a distinct aroma of the sea, enriching the tasting experience beyond a traditional cider profile.
Jean-Benoit Deslauriers, the head winemaker at Benjamin Bridge in Nova Scotia, noted the advantages of aging beverages underwater, including consistent temperatures and protection from harmful ultraviolet light. Despite challenges in the submersion process, Adams remains committed to refining the technique for future batches, learning from setbacks like storm damage encountered during the latest retrieval.
The mysterious impact of underwater aging on alcoholic beverages intrigues experts like Deslauriers, highlighting the potential benefits of this unconventional aging method. As the Newfoundland Cider Company continues to experiment with ocean-aging, Adams remains optimistic about the unique and evolving character of their High Tide cider.
