How did you get started?
Our business concept came about when we were introduced to 3rd generation family orchardists in Kelowna, who specialize in cider apple growing and are doing the very best they can to keep their orchards and not turn them into vineyards. This has happened in a lot of areas in the Okanagan as you can probably understand. To this day, we work with that same family but have also expanded to work with over 500 grower families in BC and across Canada for our apple supply.
How did you get your name?
We selected the name "Lonetree" because we think we stand alone in our belief in a 100% quality product. And we use the phrase "old growth orchard" because many of the apple trees are nearly 80 years old!
How is your cider made?
Most people don’t know that cider is essentially an apple wine. Just as the ingredient in wine is considered wine or grapes, the ingredient in cider is considered cider or apples. Apples are crushed and fermented, aged and filtered, just like grape wine is made: and so we use most of the same equipment and processes that winemakers use to make wine.
What makes cider gluten-free?
Authentic ciders like Lonetree are made from real apples, the result of the natural process of fermenting out most of the sugars from apple juice. This allows all Lonetree ciders, to be naturally gluten-free.
What is the nutritional information for Lonetree Authentic Cider?
Our cider only has 7 grams of sugar per can. We were ecstatic when we received this nutritional info back from the independent lab, as we feel it’s a pretty good case for drinking true Authentic ciders. You see this is the result of the natural process of fermenting out most of the sugars from apple juice. This allows Lonetree cider to be a naturally gluten free beverage.
Do you use yeast/preservatives in your cider?
All ciders use yeast. It’s the only way to make fermentation and to create alcohol. The ONLY way. Wine cider beer even spirits… all use yeast to create alcohol. Cider is supposed to be totally filtered so it is crystal clear and yeast free, something we are very good at!
Some amount of preservative is required to stop cider from going to vinegar and so, yes, we do use sulfites just as most wines do, too. One small point though, because there is less sugar in cider than wine, the risk of going off is lower and so we use way fewer sulfites than normally used in winemaking.
Where are you located? Do you offer tours?
We believe in supporting Canadian growers and sustainable farming practices. That’s why our apples are always sourced from local orchards.
Our business concept started when we were introduced to 3rd generation family orchardists in Kelowna, BC. To this day, we work with that same family, but have also expanded to work with a growers cooperative, made up of over 500 grower families in BC!
It took us a while to make our delicious cider recipe available in Ontario because we wanted to carry on the same tradition of sourcing our apples from regional farmers. Luckily, we were able to find local orchardists to work with, and so now you can be assured that not only is our BC cider made from 100% BC apples, but our Ontario Cider is made from 100% Ontario apples! So, when you purchase Lonetree cider, not only are you supporting a 100% Canadian company, but you are supporting family orchards all across Canada! We are quite proud of that! Since we work with orchardists across Canada and package in our own Lonetree packaging facilities we do not have a single location to visit or tour.
Are you available in the US? Can you ship direct?
We made a go of selling Lonetree in the US under the brand name Soultree due to a naming conflict, but unfortunately, the distributor we had for Soultree went under, so currently, we are not exporting to the US. Hopefully, we can make a foray into the US again sometime in the future. Sadly, we are not allowed to ship direct to consumers across the border or within our own country for that matter, due to liquor laws.