Stories From the Farm
Nothing tastes like Christmas more than Yule Fuel!
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
The holidays may look a little different this year, but they can still taste amazing. Merridale’s Yule Fuel mulled apple cider has deep spice notes of vanilla, peach, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It’s the perfect drink to enjoy hot or cold with turkey dinner or by the light of a crackling fire.
But wait… there’s more! Partial proceeds from every bottle of Yule Fuel sold go to support a great cause – the TLC Fund for Kids, which raises funds to aid in the wellness and quality of life for all children in the Capital Regional District. This limited release has been created in partnership with The Zone 91.3.
Get it before it’s gone! You can find Yule Fuel up at the Merridale Farmhouse or at these private liquor stores:
Near UsBlack Swan Liquor Store - Shawnigan Lake
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4 Reasons to Escape to Merridale's Orchard this Fall
Thursday, October 8, 2020
1. You can take a rejuvenating walk in a sea of apple trees.
Harvest is a magical time to visit Merridale. This year, when having a little extra space feels even more important, the orchard provides a sanctuary of calm and safety. There is something uplifting about the trees going about their regular business, oblivious that anything is out of the ordinary.
Take an autumn wander through our 20-acre orchard. Stop, breathe, and unwind. The light, fresh scent of apples in the air, the rustle of leaves beneath your feet, and the sounds of nature all around you, will give you the extra space you need. Perfect for spacious socializing with family and friends.
You can even bring your puppy along. Dogs on leash are always welcome anywhere on the Merridale property (sorry...
Building Hope with Cider and Hops
Monday, May 11, 2020
Empty chairs at empty tables. Lively spaces typically rich with community and delicious food, drink, and music, sit silent and bare.
BC’s tourism and hospitality businesses have been hit hard by COVID 19 and we felt like we had to find ways to help our fellow businesses and local hospitality workers in critical need of short-term financial assistance.
This week, Merridale’s Hops for Hope cider will hit liquor store shelves on Vancouver Island and throughout the Lower Mainland. Proceeds from this special cider release will be donated to the Vancouver Food + Beverage Community Relief Fund.
Like most of BC’s pubs, restaurants, and bars, our Eatery has been closed for everything except take-out since mid-March. We know how hard COVID-19 has been on our own hospitality workers. We have an...
It takes a village, or two, to make hand sanitizer
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Over the last few weeks, a call went out to the craft distillers to make hand sanitizers for first responders and others. Merridale and many from the BC Craft Distillers Guild have jumped into action to figure out how to do this. Most of us have never made a product like this before, but Guild Members worked together closely sharing information and recipes, which has been incredibly inspiring. At Merridale Distillery, our first call for help came from one of our growers, Dr. Robert Anderson. Hand sanitizer was desperately needed for Home Care Workers to take with them on their home visits. These workers are out on the front lines of the pandemic and needed something portable. Because we pick our fruit in the fall, ferment it into cider, and then distill the cider into spirits in...
3 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Harvest Season at a Craft Cidery
Friday, August 30, 2019
Harvest season is just around the corner, and the trees in our orchard are growing heavy with ripening cider apples. We’re grateful to be situated in Cobble Hill, Cowichan, where the long, slow growing season allows our fruit to ripen over time and develop wonderful flavours. We’ll wait as long as possible to harvest, but it’ll all start happening in about 3 or 4 weeks.
Here are a few things you might not know about harvest season at our craft cidery.
1. The bees are the real MVPsAt the beginning of every spring, we bring in several large beehives which house more than a million bees. The bees are an important part of our orchard ecosystem, ensuring that our spring apple blossoms are well fertilized. A good blossom results in a good fruit set, and we’re seeing the result...
An Update on Dockside: A Message from Rick
Friday, August 9, 2019
The height of summer is one of the busiest times at the farm – tours, tastings, live entertainment, food, drink…the list goes on. This year, it has also been a busy planning period for our new location in Victoria. Some of you have seen the drawings for our next new venture up at our farm in Cobble Hill. Others have seen the fence banners at the Victoria location site itself, which is across from Point Hope Shipyard. And, many of you have asked, “when is the opening date?”
Well, we have certainly hit some bumps, but Dockside is still coming. We are taking the following approach: Good things take time, great things take more time, and truly exceptional things take even more. Or, patience is a virtue that is often rewarded, or a stitch in time…. There are so many sayings to...
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