Lazy days at the cottage and afternoon picnics in the sun call for a careful alcoholic agenda – something boozy and fresh but not so potent that it knocks you out before evening. While there are a range of lighter, less-alcoholic beers on the market (radlers are our go-tos), cider lovers must solely rely on their ability to pace themselves which understandably dwindles as the hours under the sun pass by.

But there’s a new cider on the market this summer – Canada’s first light cider – that clocks in at just 3.8% ABV. Reinhart’s Red Apple Light Cider uses only Ontario-grown Gala, Cortland and Macintosh apples and is made without any artificial flavouring or colouring.

Reinhart’s might already be a familiar name to you as the company, which launched in 1910, has been producing apple-related products like apple butter and vinegar out of Stayner, Ontario for over a century. To make their light cider, Reinhart’s teamed up with the knowledgeable folks at Niagara College to refine the recipe and create a less boozy cider that doesn’t lack in flavour.

Reinhart’s Red Apple Light Cider is bright, crisp and sweet with a hint of tartness. You can serve it over ice but we enjoy it best straight. Grab some tall cans from the LCBO or try it at the Toronto Cider Festival at Sherbourne Common on Saturday August 26th.

$3.20 for 473mL; LCBO.com

Top photo credit: Amanda Capasso/Flickr