Cider Australia announced the winners of the 2025 Australian Cider Awards at a gala dinner in Sydney on 30th October.

After a wonderful evening of celebration at Rydges World Square, Sydney, the winners of this year’s Australian Cider Awards have been named and have gone home with smiles on their faces and shiny new trophies for their cellar door shelves!

The 2025 Australian Cider Awards is Australia’s largest and most prestigious cider competition, and we are proud to honour the best ciders in Australia.

A big thank you also to Gabe Cook (UK), our gracious and entertaining host. It’s been an absolute pleasure having him be a part of our awards events this year. We hope you come back to visit again soon!

And we also bid farewell to our new friends from Batlic Cider. It has been an educational and eye-opening couple of weeks sampling your cider and learning about your cider-making practices and industry. We look forward to continuing to work with you over the coming years.

 

Victorian producer Daylesford Cider was awarded Best in Show with Wild Oak traditional cider. 

A field of over 230 local and international entries was judged by a highly skilled, diverse panel of nine judges, led by chair Briony Liebich of consultancy Flavour Logic. Briony comments, “One of the highlights this year was the strength across multiple classes, showing that quality is improving in every category. It made the job of assigning medals more challenging, but also more exciting. A real testament to the hard work and innovation happening in cider production.“

 

2025 Trophy winners:

BEST IN SHOW – WILD OAK 2024
DAYLESFORD CIDER, VIC, AUSTRALIA 93PTS

BEST NEW WORLD CIDER – RED MOON ROSÉ CIDER
THE APPLE THIEF, NSW, AUSTRALIA 93.5PTS

BEST TRADITIONAL CIDER – WILD OAK 2024
DAYLESFORD CIDER, VIC, AUSTRALIA 93PTS

BEST PERRY – WILLIAM PEAR CIDER
THE APPLE THIEF, NSW, AUSTRALIA 92.5PTS

BEST SPECIALTY CIDER OR PERRY – APPLE + BLUEBERRY
PLENTY CIDER, TAS, AUSTRALIA 93PTS5

BEST INTENSIFIED / DISTILLED CIDER OR PERRY – APPLE BRANDY
WILLIE SMITH’S, TAS, AUSTRALIA 93PTS

BEST AUSTRALIAN CIDER OR PERRY – WILD OAK 2024
DAYLESFORD CIDER, VIC, AUSTRALIA 93PTS

BEST INTERNATIONAL CIDER OR PERRY* – BITTER HARRY 2021
PECKHAM’S CIDERY & ORCHARD , NEW ZEALAND 93PTS

MOST SUCCESSFUL SMALL PRODUCER
DAYLESFORD CIDER, VIC, AUSTRALIA

MOST SUCCESSFUL LARGER PRODUCER
WILLIE SMITH’S, TAS, AUSTRALIA

BEST SINGLE VARIETAL CIDER – David Pickering Memorial Trophy
BILPIN BLUSH PINK LADY CIDER
BILPIN CIDER CO, NSW, AUSTRALIA 91PTS

* Note that international ‘guest’ entries are only eligible for the Best International Cider or Perry Trophy.

 

For a complete list of award and medal winners, download the 2025 Australian Cider Awards Results Booklet.

 

 Media enquiries

Contact Cider Australia executive officer Rosie Zollinger on
0427 566 607 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

About Cider Australia 

Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2012 and funded by cider businesses and sponsors. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policymakers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference, AusCider, and the Australian Cider Awards.

About the Awards

The 14th annual Australian Cider Awards were held in October 2025. The Awards are the largest cider competition in Australia and are leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across Australia. Judging of the Awards is held at the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne. The panel comprises judges with vast expertise from across the alcoholic beverage industry.

The judging panel included expertise from across the alcoholic beverage industry:

JUDGES

Briony Liebich (Chair) (Flavour Logic)

Max Allen (Panel Chair) (journalist) Vanessa Altmann (Hills Cider) Gabe Cook (International) (Ciderologist, UK)

Ian Kingham (Panel Chair) (independent) David Darlow (Mount Avoca) Rob Hall (Cider in Context)

ASSOCIATE JUDGES

Ren Delgarno (Winequip), Katrina Vasquez (Dan Murphy’s), Patrick Gardner (Kilchurn)

Rotating panel: Jo-Anne Fahey, Jess Locarnini, Warren Proft, Marianne Smith, Rosemary Zollinger

 

Chair of Judges – Briony Liebich

Briony is a sensory analyst, Certified Cicerone, beer educator, writer and judge. She was Chair at the 2023 and 2024 Australian Cider Awards and a judge in 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Briony has worked in the beer, wine, cider and food industries for 19 years and has extensive experience sampling, judging and consulting to large and small businesses.

Briony runs sensory consultancy Flavour Logic (www.flavourlogic.com) based in South Australia, working with the food and beverage industry and general consumers to improve tasting skills.

International guest judge – Gabe Cook

Award-winning global cider expert, Gabe Cook – aka The Ciderologist – has spent 20 years making and advocating cider in his native UK, as well as 3 years in New Zealand, and has worked in far-flung and random places such as Japan, Norway, the USA and Zimbabwe!

The world’s only fully dedicated, independent global cider advocate, Gabe is on a mission to spread the gospel on cider.  

 

Industry body Cider Australia is calling on the ACCC to separately consider the cider category when reviewing the proposed acquisition of Carlton & United Breweries by Asahi Beverages. 

Asahi and AB InBev-owned CUB announced the deal on 19 July. The ACCC will now consider whether the proposed merger should go ahead based on whether is likely to substantially lessen competition in the alcoholic beverage market. 

Cider Australia president Sam Reid said the industry is concerned about the possible impact of the merger on the cider category because a combined Asahi/AB InBev business would control around 70 per cent of the category by volume share¹. 

“Unlike beer where different sub-segments of the category – such as Pale Ale, IPA and Sour Beers – are well established, tap contracts for cider tend to cover the entire category”, said Mr Reid. 

“Such a significant consolidation in brand ownership is likely to further limit competition and innovation in the cider category to a far greater extent than in beer. 

“We encourage the ACCC to independently consider the competitive landscape for cider, including to re-consider the impacts of tap contracts given they can completely lock out new and emerging products. 

“It may be time to consider prohibiting non-price incentives in tap contracts, or even getting rid of tap contracts completely. 

“With the advent of Cider Australia’s 100% Australian Grown trust mark, a level playing field for smaller cider producers and Australian apple and pear growers is as important as ever”, Mr Reid said. 

www.cideraustralia.org.au 

1. Source: IRI/Market Edge

 

About Cider Australia 

Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference and the Australian Cider Awards. 

Australian Craft Cider Definition 

Cider Australia launched the 100% AUSTRALIAN GROWN trust mark in October 2018, becoming the first country in the world to have a trust mark that promotes the authenticity of cider and drives integrity in the market. The trust mark is industry-led and can be displayed only on Australian craft ciders. Under our definition, ‘Australian craft ciders’ are ciders that contain Australian grown ingredients, and that have a minimum juice content of 50% (by weight of finished product). The trust mark addresses significant failings in the current definition of cider in Australia which is the absence of both a minimum juice content in cider, and a requirement to identify the country of origin of the juice. 

MEDIA ENQUIRIES 

To interview Cider Australia spokespeople please contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au. 

AusCider 2019, Tasmania, 3-5 June 2019

National industry body Cider Australia has announced that next year’s national cider conference will be held in Tasmania from 3 – 5 June 2019.

AusCider 2019 will bring together cider producers, fruit growers, researchers and cider industry representatives from across Australia. The UK’s first accredited pommelier (cider sommelier), award winning drinks writer and consultant Jane Peyton will join proceedings as guest international delegate and keynote speaker.

President of Cider Australia and co-founder of Willie Smith’s Cider Makers, Sam Reid, said the cider industry is grateful for the support of the Tasmanian Government which has enabled Cider Australia to bring the conference to Tasmania.

“Tasmania is overloaded with exceptional food and drink experiences and has fast become a national hub for fermentation R&D, making it the perfect place to hold the 2019 conference”, said Mr Reid.

AusCider 2019 will be held in conjunction with the annual conference of Fruit Growers Tasmania (FGT). “FGT are excited to have Cider Australia join them in Hobart for their 2019 conference”, said the organisation’s CEO Stu Burgess. “The Tasmanian fruit sector has a long history of supporting the cider industry with numerous premium brands producing exceptional value added products for sale at cellar door, domestically and also in high value export markets. In the first week of June, we look forward to showcasing the fantastic profitable businesses right from ‘paddock to bottle’!”

Members of state-based cider industry body Cider Tasmania are delighted that the conference is being held locally and look forward to contributing to making the conference a success. The conference program will include one and a half days at the C3 Convention Centre in South Hobart followed by site visits and events in other regions of Tasmania.

Further information about the conference including program and ticketing information will be released on Cider Australia’s website in early 2019.

www.cideraustralia.org.au
www.jane-peyton.com

– Ends –

 

About Cider Australia

Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry.

About AusCider 2019

The Australian Cider Conference (AusCider 2019) is the cider industry’s annual information exchange and networking event. It connects cider producers, fruit growers, researchers, suppliers and other industry representatives from Australia and internationally. The Batlow CiderFest organised and ran the first seven conferences in Batlow, NSW. Cider Australia will now manage the event as it moves to major cider centres in other states.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

To interview Cider Australia spokespeople and other industry representatives, please contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au.

The competition director of the world’s largest cider show GLINTCAP will judge at the 2018 Australian Cider Awards.

Cider Australia President Sam Reid today revealed the judging panel for the 8th national cider show.

“I’m pleased to announce that Eric West from the United States will be our guest international judge this year”, said Mr Reid.

Mr West runs the renowned online information and news resource Cider Guide (ciderguide.com) and is a leading cider educator with many accolades to his name, including the prized United States Association of Cider Makers’ Significant Contribution to the Cider Industry award.

“Eric has an amazing knowledge of ciders from all corners of the world, impressive judging credentials and a real passion for spreading the good word on cider which fits our guest judge role perfectly”, said Mr Reid.

The independent panel of judges will be chaired by Behn Payten of Payten & Jones Wines and include Mr West, Mike Bennie (freelance writer and journalist), Sebastian Crowther MS (Rockpool Dining Group), Briony Liebich (Lion Co) and Jody Scott (NZ’s Zeffer Cider).

“The remarkable quality and breadth of expertise on the panel is one of the things that sets the Awards apart and we’re proud to be able to put together a panel of this calibre”, Mr Reid said.

Mr West will run workshops while in Australia on the current state of the US cider industry and the organisation and management of GLINTCAP, the Great Lakes International Cider & Perry Competition.

Entries to the 2018 Australian Cider Awards open on 1 June.

Award winners will be announced at a gala industry dinner in Sydney on 5 October.

For further details contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson at office@cideraustralia.org.au or 0434 559 759 or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au

AUSTRALIAN CIDER AWARDS BACKGROUND

• Cider Australia will run the 8th annual Australian Cider Awards in Spring 2018.
• The Australian Cider Awards is the largest cider competition in Australia. Last year there were 250 entries from Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the UK, US, Italy, Spain and Sweden.
• Judging will be held over 2 days in late September at the William Angliss Institute in central Melbourne. The judging is closed to entrants and the public.
• The Judging panel comprises 6 judges (including the guest international judge) and 2 associate judges.
• Products can be entered in one of 28 Award classes covering Traditional and New World cider and perry, specialty and intensified/distilled styles.
• Key changes to the class structure in 2018 are:
  • the ‘Medium’ cider and perry classes will be split into ‘Medium Dry’ (~ 9 – 35g/L sugar) and ‘Medium Sweet’ (~ 35-40g/L sugar) reflecting the number of products that are being entered in this sweetness range.
  • a new low alcohol cider class for products with an ABV of 1.15-3.5% will be added to the schedule.
  • the apple and pear spirits class will be split into a non-aged (Eau de Vie) and an aged spirits class.
• Results will be announced at a gala cider industry dinner on Friday 5 October 2018 in Sydney.
• The Awards is an important precursor to the largest craft cider festival in Australia, the annual Australian Cider Festival, to be held on Saturday 6 October 2018 in Sydney.

Full entry details including the competition rules and 2018 Style Guide will be available soon at www.cideraustralia.org.au

Entries are flowing in to this year’s Australian Cider Awards as the call for participation extends to international producers.

Cider Australia hosts the largest and most prestigious cider competition in Australia, with the 2017 Awards promising to showcase the best of the best ciders available for sale in Australia.

Entries to the Awards close on Friday 1st September 2017.

The judging, undertaken blind and in accordance with detailed style specifications, will take place on 26th and 27th September in Melbourne.

Chief Steward of the Awards Nyall Condon, from the Bellarine Peninsula’s Flying Brick Cider Co, said the Awards is a prime opportunity for producers to see how their ciders stack up against the competition.

“We are aiming to boost international entries this year to further expand our horizons and keep the judges interested and on their toes”, said Mr Condon.

You can enter the 2017 Australian Cider Awards online via www.cideraustralia.org.au/awards

Winners of the awards will be announced at a gala dinner on the evening of Friday 27th October at The Craft & Co in Collingwood. Details are attached.

2017 Australian Cider Awards – Key dates

Entries Open	Mon 5 June
Entries Close	Fri 1 Sept
Deliver Entries	1 Sept – 15 Sept
Judging (closed to public)	Tue 26 and Wed 27 Sept
Awards Dinner	Fri 27 Oct
Australian Cider Festival	Sat 28 Oct

 

For more details contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au 

FULL DETAILS ON AWARD CLASSES AND RULES ARE IN THE 2017 Awards Information & Style Guide. Media representatives are invited to visit the judging in central Melbourne, but this is closed to the public.

Cider Australia welcomes today’s announcement by the Federal Government that it will restrict the Wine Equalisation Tax rebate to genuine cider businesses that sell branded Australian cider and perry.

The WET rebate scheme was designed to support small wine producers in rural and regional Australia but has faced substantial ‘rorting’ and claims by unintended recipients.

Cider Australia president Sam Reid said the reforms acknowledge the local cider producers whose activities directly support rural and regional communities and drive diversity and ongoing growth in the Australian cider market.

“Once these reforms are enacted a cider business will need to own the apples and pears in a product from pressing through to the final packaging, in effect restricting ciders made from imported juice concentrate”, said Mr Reid.

“The reforms reflect Cider Australia’s view that the rebate should only be available to cider made from 100% Australian juice that supports regional agricultural communities in Australia. It’s also a great opportunity for us to start a conversation about Australian Craft Cider, which we feel will be the next growth driver for the category”.

“Cider Australia would like to commend Senator Ruston and her team for the consultative manner in which they have engaged the industry, ensuring a positive outcome for Australian growers and producers”, said Mr Reid.

With the assurance that Australian craft cider producers will continue to be eligible for the rebate, Cider Australia will now refocus its efforts on the definition of cider and truth in cider labelling.

“Cider Australia remains concerned about the impact of cuts to the rebate cap without any change to the current disparate definitions of cider in Australian tax laws and the Australia New Zealand Food Standards (FSANZ) Code and calls on the Government to rectify this and improve the integrity of cider labelling”.

“For instance, globally most countries have a minimum juice content included in their definition of cider and yet we still don’t have any requirement in either of the legal definitions in Australia”.

“We look forward to working with the Government to reform current labelling laws to level the playing field and provide consumers with accurate information about where the fruit in their cider comes from. We believe that this will improve the ability of our members to innovate and capitalise on emerging export opportunities like we have seen in the wine industry”, said Mr Reid.

For more details or interviews contact Cider Australia President Sam Reid on 0434 734 797.