Bad Apple Brewing Company
73463 Bluewater Highway, Zurich, ON
(519) 236-7908
Bad Apple Brewing was originally conceived as a cidry. Husband and wife team, Jason and Sarah Ingram, bought themselves an apple orchard in 2011, but eventually decided to try their hand at some creative craft brewing instead. They opened their doors in 2016 and are now creating small batches of craft beer as well running an orchard open for the apple picking season: September and October.
In a province where Craft Breweries are opening monthly, it is important to find a way to stand out in the industry and Bad Apple has done that with a unique twist of blending apple cider with some of their beers. This was the first I had experienced or heard of blending apple cider and beer, so I was intrigued about the path that got them there and how they created their recipes. We chatted over a few samples and it really was like nothing I had ever had - my mind was blown. Jason and his father, Sandy, started by experimenting and creating some interesting hard cider recipes, Jason then ventured off in the direction of homebrewing and now has found his groove by making Craft Beer and cider beer blends.
With 10 varieties of apples on their 5 acre orchard they’re pushing the boundaries and discovering what they can do with darker malt and apple cider, rather than a typical lighter grain bill and apples, and each bottle is corked for that special added touch.
When it came to tasting I dived straight in with one of their most innovative creations, the West Coast White, a fruit friendly beer with a 4:1 ratio of Hefeweizen to cider. The addition of cider brings a refreshing spin into the hefeweizen and a slight tartness to the finish which simply begs to be drank in the sunshine on the back deck.