And while the popularity of ciders has grown alongside the popularity of craft beer in recent years, cider makers do face a significant hurdle that their beer brethren don’t have to worry about. In Ontario, you can’t sell your cider in a taproom unless you have five acres of apple trees in the ground on site, Steve said.

At their current location on Industrial Parkway in Aurora, that is simply not possible.

In their cidery, big vats of fruit sit fermenting. At Ernest, Steve says they ferment their cider for a relatively lengthy three-month period.

“Ernest is just a touch dryer than mainstream cider,” Michelle said.

The ingredients in cider are relatively simple. Fruit juice, yeast, sugar and honey.

The couple tries to keep everything Ontario sourced. The apples come from across the province, the honey comes from Martin Sweet Farm in Campbellville, the cranberries from Bala and the cherries from the Niagara area.

The vast majority of their business is at the LCBO where they sell Ernest Cider Dry and Ernest Cider Rubee, which features cranberries and cherries. The couple is also launching a seasonal festive cider for Christmas time that features aromatics like cloves and cardamom.

While you can always find their products at the LCBO, Michelle said they also have their product featured in 50 bars and restaurants across the Greater Toronto Area.

They do a lot of one-off products for restaurants which gives them a nice change of pace. “We enjoy experimenting,” Steve said.

The couple also has a nice partnership as Steve handles the cidery arm of the business while Michelle handles the marketing. She had a previous experience in marketing with a large Ontario brewery.

“It’s fun to create a brand from scratch,” she said.

Long-term, the couple wants to set up their cidery on a farm with their own apple trees and bees. “I love farming,” Steve said.

For more information about Ernest Cider, visit ernestcider.com.