Cidrerie Michel Jodoin in Quebec: History, What It Makes, How It Earns and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Cidrerie Michel Jodoin is a four-generation orchard and cider house in Rougemont, Quebec, that began with an orchard purchase in 1901. It won gold (Commandeur) in the 2023 Ordre national du merite agricole national ranking, placing seventh in the orchard category with 896 points, and became Canada's first microdistillery in 1999.
| Location | Rougemont, Monteregie, Quebec |
|---|---|
| Founded | Orchard bought in 1901 |
| Sectors | apples; sparkling cider; ice cider; spirits |
| Scale | Over 30 products; sales reached about 100,000 bottles by 2004 (Meteomedia) |
| Why it is elite | Gold (Commandeur), 7th in the 2023 national ONMA ranking; first microdistillery in Canada (1999) |
| Ownership | Jodoin family, four generations |
| Official website | Cidrerie Michel Jodoin official site |
History of Cidrerie Michel Jodoin
Jean-Baptiste Jodoin bought an orchard in Rougemont in October 1901 for $1,500, with about a hundred trees. His son Ernest, who had 13 children, expanded the business, and father and son sold their apples at Bonsecours Market in Montreal by horse.
Michel Jodoin, the current owner, shifted the business from selling fruit to bottling cider. Cider was left out of the 1921 liquor law, so its production and sale were not legal until 1970. Sales grew from about 150 bottles in the first production to about 5,000 in the early 1990s and 100,000 by 2004. In 1999 the company became the first microdistillery in Canada. Michel's son Philippe is now involved, planting new varieties for the ciders.
What Cidrerie Michel Jodoin Grows and Raises
The house specialises in traditional-method sparkling cider and also makes rose and golden ciders, still ciders, ice cider, brandy and other spirits, apple musts and an apple vermouth. More than 30 products come from the orchard's fruit, and some ciders are supplied to chains and the SAQ.
The farm is moving toward organic production when weather allows. Rougemont is a core part of Quebec's apple region, and ice cider is a well-known Quebec orchard specialty.
How Cidrerie Michel Jodoin Makes Money
Cider and sparkling cider
Bottled cider is the main revenue stream, sold through the on-farm shop and retail partners including the SAQ and chains.
Ice cider and spirits
Ice cider and distilled products carry higher price points per bottle. The 1999 microdistillery licence opened this category.
Fruit and visits
The orchard still produces apples, and the shop and tastings turn visitors into direct customers.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Cidrerie Michel Jodoin
Three lessons. First, a legal change (cider legal in 1970) created the market, so watch regulation as an opportunity. Second, moving from raw fruit to branded bottles took sales from 150 bottles to about 100,000 in roughly a dozen years.
Third, succession works when the next generation is given a role: Philippe plants varieties and the farm is moving to organic methods.
A farm that started with a hundred trees and a horse-drawn trip to market has come a long way to a sparkling cider list. At farm.FM the farm satire desk loves a good origin story, and a family that waited until 1970 for cider to be legal gets plenty of respect. The farm humor writes itself, as does the ranch humor about the neighbours who wish they had planted apples. Orchard farm jokes about being well-rounded are all taken, but they are still hard to resist.
Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
How to Contact Cidrerie Michel Jodoin
Website: https://micheljodoin.ca/
Address and phone appear on third-party pages (SAQ interview) but were not confirmed on the official site in this research, so they are not listed. Call ahead for shop hours.
Cidrerie Michel Jodoin Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Cidrerie Michel Jodoin official site - Ciders, spirits and shop
- SAQ interview with Michel Jodoin - Family history and products
- Meteomedia profile - Four generations and growth of bottle sales
- Ordre national du merite agricole 2023 ranking - Official ranking, gold category
- Quebec apple marketing survey - Provincial statistics on Quebec apples
Cidrerie Michel Jodoin FAQ
Where is Cidrerie Michel Jodoin?
In Rougemont, in the Monteregie region of Quebec.
When did the orchard begin?
Jean-Baptiste Jodoin bought it in 1901.
What is notable about its history?
It became Canada's first microdistillery in 1999, and sales reached about 100,000 bottles by 2004.
What award has it won?
Gold (Commandeur), 7th place with 896 points, in the 2023 Ordre national du merite agricole national ranking.
Cidrerie Michel Jodoin shows how a family orchard turned apples into a recognised cider and spirits business across four generations. See our Quebec farms guide and the other profiled operations for more.