our core people
Our diverse group is built of people with a history of building their lives and businesses around sustainability.
Isaac (our crazy farmer and co-founder) has been farming organically since birth. His parents came to Cawston, BC with a dream and no farming experience. They carved out a new counter culture movement that included the formation of SOOPA and COABC. His father, Billy, knew that something needed to be done to connect the organic growers with the consumer, so he started Cawston Cold Storage. It is now the biggest organic fruit packing house in Canada, packing over 17 million pounds of organic fruit per year.
This is what makes our cider so special. We use juice-grade apples that come out of C/A storage. A lot of juice apples aren't this high quality, and juicing from a fresh and crisp apple gives our cider a clean and fresh taste that doesn't need much added. Just simple, pure and organic.
Our production facility and tasting room is on our own Certified Organic Farm where we are committed to environmental sustainability and biodiversity. Not only do we use our own organic apples, but we also incorporate our other organic fruit and fruit from other farmers in the area.
The team at Upside Cider is proud and excited to present Kelowna's first Organic Cider. We hope you enjoy both the flavour and the authenticity.
our sustainable action plan
Is bigger better? While we want to connect as many awesome people with our cider as we can, we are committed to building a business that can be supported by our environment. There is a cap to the amount of cider we produce.
tasting
We pour our tasting from kegs rather than using bottles, saving thousands of lids, labels and energy the it takes to re-sanitize the bottles. Please bring your own bag to take your cider home. If you don't have one we use paper or cardboard boxes. No plastic here!
farming
Certified Organic standards are just the beginning. We are committed to biodiversity and regenerative agriculture. We have a family of hawks that remind us daily we are part of a bigger ecosystem.
food waste
We use #2 and juice grade fruit to make our ciders. Saving 1000s of lbs of delicious food from the compost.
facility waste
What we can't compost on our own farm we send to Spa Hills compost. They can take things like wax covered boxes and compostable plastics. We use compostable packaging that can be brought back to our farm to be turned into food for the soil.
who we are
mike
founder
Mike is the behind the scenes guy. You’re more likely to find Waldo than him but on occasion he will be doing anything and everything at the cidery so if you actually spot him please let us know.
Mike brings a wealth of business experience. He is the owner of Image One MRI (imageonemri.ca) and is also involved in the family businesses Construction/Development, Property Management and even a vineyard.
He is a bit of a fitness guy and enjoys all sports especially golf, cycling and swimming. Mike is local grown and his family has been in Kelowna for generations.
rick
co-founder
You can find Rick in the back brewing up cider, helping wherever needed and even in the bar pouring and chatting away.
Rick grew up with Isaac in Cawston on a large second generation family farm. He loves meeting new people,and hearing their stories. If the place isn't too busy, don't be afraid to chat him up and get to know him a little better. He is a secret foodie and loves visiting new hot spots with great eats.
nicole
bar manager/
marketing
Nicole is in charge of our front of house, marketing, and social media.
Nicole recently moved to Kelowna from Saskatoon where she received her degree in marketing from the University of Saskatchewan. With over 8 years in the restaurant industry, she's very passionate about supporting local businesses and creating relationships within the community.
When she's not focused on marketing you can find Nicole outdoors, hiking, kayaking, or enjoying a cider on the patio.
isaac
founder/
orchard manager
Isaac is the visionary, farm manager, co-cider maker, expert jar opener and reacher of things off of high shelves.
Big and burley, he is known for being able to get along with anyone. He loves the outdoors, farming and sharing some good laughs over a pint. Notice the paintings being mounted too high on the walls? You will get it after seeing this guy in person.
blain
cider maker/
operations manager
Most days you can find Blain crafting our incredible ciders in the cellar, performing lab analysis, or trying to convince Isaac that science is real. He is also responsible for our general operations and quality control.
Our ever-learning cider maker's education includes a Brewmaster and Brewery Operations diploma from Olds College, distilling education from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, a Hospitality Management diploma from SAIT, and current enrolment in the Winemaker Certificate from the University of California.
In Blain's not-so-down time you can find him at home with his new baby, toddler, wife and Golden Retriever, reading books, or playing a racquet sport.