There’s a new stop for cider lovers on Bowen, and it’s already proving popular with locals and tourists alike.
The Bowen Cider House opened just two months ago, and is operated by cidermaker Alastair Johnstone and his sons Benjamin and Nicholas. Along with a larger cast of family and friends, the cidery performs all its fermenting, blending and bottling on-site at the Meadowbrook Farm off Grafton Road.
But while the venue just became open to the public in June, the idea and vision for the Bowen Cider House has been years in the making.
Johnstone’s in-laws purchased the property partially based on the recommendation of Alastair himself, who was intrigued by the land’s opportunity for both farmland and commercial pursuits.
“We decided really early on that we would only plant cider apples because there’s almost no cider apples available in B.C.,” says Johnstone. In 2004 the first trees were planted, and soon 90 apples trees bought from well known and respected B.C. cider crafter Derek Bisset were in the ground.
But calamity struck off the bat. A freak snowstorm and cold snap that lasted through March wreaked havoc on the crop. When the spring thaw finally came, just three of the 90 trees were left alive.
“That was a bit of a disaster, but it taught us a lot of really quick lessons,” says Johnstone. “One is that we needed to learn how to propagate trees, because there wasn’t enough cider fruit around. So I better learn to graft. And the other was that we needed to plant a little bit more heavily and needed to think more about how we were planting.”
The team was right back at it with 100 trees in the ground next year, maintaining those levels until reaching the more than 700 trees planted today. Part of the transition involved including bush orchard trees in the crop. As opposed to standard trees, which can fit around 100-150 trees per acre and take eight to 10 years to produce a yield, bush orchard trees can fit 1,500 per acre and start producing in two to three years.
Standard trees still have their advantages though, including a much longer lifespan, greater resistance to disease, and less mechanical upkeep such as irrigation. Johnstone says the cidery now has a healthy mix of both options at its disposal.
After sorting out their tree situation, it was time to move on to the cider production. Test blends began around eight years ago – an adventure for everybody as Johnstone’s previous cider making experience was purely kit-based.
“When you’re actually doing it from the ground up it’s a totally different thing,” he accurately points out.
The next approach was an old-fashioned one – which was quickly abandoned for multiple reasons. “We did one pressing with the antique grinder and realized we would never use it again, because it’s brutally hard work. So we made some mediocre – at-best – cider. But it was drinkable,” says Johnstone.
“Then the next year we did better and the next year we did better, and then we started experimenting with blending until two years ago we came up with what we knew we wanted as the style and we felt comfortable that we were good enough that people would drink it.”
The crucial step of concocting a refreshing beverage was complete. There was just one more hurdle to go before opening: the Liquor Control Board. And when COVID hit, the agency’s attention was turned elsewhere as they were flooded with licencing requests for outdoor dining – a step thousands of restaurants needed to take to stay alive during pandemic restrictions.
Johnstone says the Cider House’s request was set aside for awhile, but finally revisited last fall. The final batch of licencing was approved this spring, and a soft launch weekend in June welcomed the cidery onto the Bowen Island tasting scene.
Visitors to the cidery can currently sample a trio of ciders, including Granny Cowan, appropriately named for Johnstone’s great-grandmother. Alastair is a descendent of George Cowan – of Cowan Point notoriety – who came to the island in 1895.
Adding to the gallery’s lengthy Bowen history is the artwork adorning the walls. The pieces are all originals from the Uno Langmann gallery – Johnstone’s father-in law, the original purchaser of the farm.
Meadowbrook Medley and Seymour Bay Scrumpy round out the cider varieties. Johnstone says he’s hoping to have a berry-infused cider ready later this month. They’re also hoping to have a picnic area fully licenced this month, so visitors can enjoy their cider outside.
“The reception has been fantastic,” says Johnstone of the first two months of operation. “Islanders have been great to us and the tourists have been really receptive to it. And we’re starting to get a lot of repeat customers from the island which is really nice.”
Johnstone notes a lot of customers arrive by bicycle, particularly tourists on e-bikes. The cidery has an e-bike charging station, and also discounts at the market and upcoming discounts at the cidery for customers who arrive by this mode of transportation.
As for operating the business with his family? “As any family project it has its challenges. But it’s absolutely the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done,” says Johnstone.
“I’ve been a builder for 30 years and I really liked that while I was doing it… But this is way, way better. It’s really nice to be able to do this with my sons and their girlfriends and my sister and my in-laws. Everybody pitches in all the time.”
Whether you arrive by hike, vehicle – or e-bike – the Bowen Cider House is now open Wednesday through Sunday until 7 pm each day.
