The Cider Social

I thoroughly enjoy cider but most bars in Toronto either don't carry it in the first place, or only have one or two on offer. One is better than none, but, well, I like trying things. So when I heard about the March Cider Social with its promise of extensive cider selection, I booked it into my calendar without a second's hesitation. In pen.


The Cider Social was organized by Andrew Ennals, who apparently loves cider and would love to see more of it on offer in local watering holes. The March edition took place at Tequila Bookworm and offered up 12 different choices in their upstairs space. The place was quaint and cozy, the bartenders were friendly, and the cider was delicious. I went with a few friends, so we started up a tab and started working our way through the list. Since we were actually drinking full glasses, we only made our way through 4 of the 12 different ciders on offer but apparently that's not a problem because Tequila Bookwork has the same extensive selection (the largest in the city!) on a regular basis and are working on getting a couple more. I would have loved to taste all 12 in one night, but my companions were in more of a drinking than tasting mood and the cider was in bottles, not on tap, so we took more of an in-depth tasting approach. I would love to see a cider tasting event happen here that samples the entire selection but in the meantime will contend myself with going back repeatedly to complete my exploration.

In addition to Andrew being on hand to plug Ontario cider, there were books scattered around on cider and cider production, which was kind of cute. And the owner of Pommies was making the rounds with free samples and friendly chats. Overall, we had a great time and after splitting the tab 4 ways (after several hours of continuous "tasting"), the bill came to only about $16 each including tax and tip. Definitely worthy of a repeat performance.

WHAT: March Cider Social

WHERE: Tequila Bookworm, 512 Queen St. W. (upstairs bar)

WHEN: March 14, 2013 - 7:30 pm

COST: Reasonable (pay as you drink; no admission fee)

INSIDER DETAILS: Keep an eye on Andrew's activities - he's planning more of these and possibly some trips out to the producers. Also check out Tequila Bookworm if you like cider - they really do have the most extensive selection in the city. Bring a few friends and split some bottles to taste several kinds and still be able to walk in a straight line. Be sure to try the Spirit Tree Apelager - it was a unanimous favourite in our group. I would also recommend following @CiderToronto on Twitter to stay in the loop on upcoming events.