Small craft cidery with a tasting room
Press apples, ferment small batches of cider and sell to pubs, shops, festivals and visitors.
- C$150k-450k
- Part-time
- Own premises
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in Canada, not guarantees.
What it is
A small licensed cidery in a rented unit, barn or farm building. You press local apples, ferment and package cider in bottles, cans or kegs, and may add a small tasting area or farm-gate shop.
Your first three steps
- Visit two or three local cideries, then talk to your provincial liquor regulator about the cider manufacturing licence and what premises it requires
- Line up an apple supply from nearby orchards and test a few small batches to develop your first two or three recipes
- Pick a site, get quotes for a press, tanks and packaging, and check zoning with your municipality
Who pays
Pubs, restaurants, independent liquor and grocery stores, festival and event organizers, and visitors who buy at the door.
How it makes money
Wholesale sales by the case or keg to licensed buyers, plus higher-margin direct sales of bottles, cans and tastings. Where local rules allow, you can also sell online or at markets.
Skills that help
- Fermentation and cleanliness
- Sourcing good apples
- Sales and relationship building
- Record keeping for tax and compliance
Watch out for
- Provincial licensing for alcohol manufacturing and sales, and the rules for selling on-site or to licensed buyers
- A federal excise licence from the CRA, which may apply to alcohol producers, so check duty and reporting requirements
- Food safety, labelling and bilingual or Quebec-specific packaging rules, which vary by province
- Commercial general liability and product liability insurance
- Harvest-time cash flow, since you buy apples and equipment before you can sell
- Startup costs depend heavily on the site: press, stainless tanks, packaging, floor drains, building fit-out and licensing can add up quickly, so get firm quotes first
Deep research report · Canada
Everything you need to start: small craft cidery with a tasting room
Researched with live web search for Canada: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a craft cidery in Canada?
Startup costs for a small craft cidery are typically around $150,000 to $450,000, depending on the site. A press, stainless tanks, packaging, floor drains, building fit-out and licensing can add up quickly, so get firm quotes first.
What licences do I need for a craft cidery in Canada?
Check provincial licensing for alcohol manufacturing and sales, including rules for selling on-site or to licensed buyers. Also check whether a federal excise licence from the CRA applies, plus food safety, labelling and bilingual or Quebec-specific packaging rules, which vary by province.
How much can a small cidery make?
Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on your site, volume and sales channels. Harvest-time cash flow can be tight, since you buy apples and equipment before you can sell.
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