Sitting high above Lake Okanagan, in the hills of the Naramata Bench, La Petite Abeille, or the Little Bee, is a wink and a nod to French cider-making and know-how right here in the Okanagan.
Located in The Blue Bee Orchard, a working pear and cherry orchard, La Petite Abeille creates perfectly sippable ciders from the hand-picked fruit cultivated from their Blue Bee Orchard home. Calling on the long history of cider production in France, their cider is that perfect mix of old and new world cider-making techniques. The pièce de résistance for the gluten-free and never too sweet LPA cider is the delicate little bubbles their ciders have that dance over your tongue with every sip.
We visited LPA in the late summer of their opening year (we were one of the first to visit their cidery) on our honeymoon road trip. The cidery itself is a beautiful french-inspired country house overlooking rows of fruit trees and, much further down, Okanagan Lake. We were lucky to meet the owners on this trip and were fascinated and awe-struck at the passion these young cider-makers have for their craft.
While at the cidery, we were able to try all their ciders which was an absolute treat. Each of their ciders are very different in complexity, and fruity notes and their ability to utilize bolder fruits into these light, dainty ciders are amazing. Our favorite is their Pear Charmat Cider which is signature cider and more like a bottle of expensive champagne.
It’s a thing of beauty.
Dipping into one of the bottles we brought back with us, we enjoyed the Sparkling Apple & Pear Cider, which is a beautiful take on a classic off-dry cider that is a delicate mix of bright peach, Granny Smith apple, and Bartlett pear flavors.
A hack, or some might call us the hack, for drinking cider in the Okanagan summer heat is to use local frozen berries to chill your cider. Not only does it keep everything chilled, but it adds a little extra fruity flavor to your drink.
La Petite Abeille is available across the Okanagan and West Coast at a variety of vendors, so even those who can’t take a drive out to The Naramata Bench to see the cidery in person, although you really should, you can pick them up and take them home this weekend.
If you get a chance to try out La Petite Abeille, make sure you tag us on Instagram and Facebook, and we will share it on our feed!
