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.  

 

A national celebration of cider made from Australian grown apples and pears will be held across the country this Saturday 11 March 2023.

Australian Cider Day is an annual event that draws attention to Cider Australia’s 100% Australian Grown trust mark – an industry-led and owned initiative launched in 2018 to boost understanding about product origin.

Cider producers mark this annual day by organising cider events, tastings and other fun activities to educate drinkers about quality Australian cider. 

Cider Australia President Warwick Billings said the trust mark and Australian Cider Day highlight what makes Australian craft ciders unique – the fact they are made with Australian grown fruit rather than imported juice concentrate which goes into an estimated 90% of the ciders sold in Australia.

‘By choosing ciders that display the trust mark, drinkers are supporting Australian fruit growers and their communities and boosting Australian jobs in the craft cider industry’, Warwick said.

More than 80 Australian cider producers are now registered to use the trust mark.

Cider Australia features Australian Cider Day events on its website and promotes use of the social media hashtag #drinkaustraliancider so everyone can see what the Australian cider community is up to.

For more details visit www.cideraustralia.org.au/australianciderday or the Australian Cider Day Facebook page.

 

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Media enquiries

Contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

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 AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.

About the trust mark and Australian Cider Day

Cider Australia’s 100% Australian Grown trust mark is an industry-led initiative to reinforce the premium quality of Australian craft cider and drive integrity in the market. The trust mark can only be displayed on ciders made from 100% Australian grown ingredients. The trust mark was developed with the support of the Australian Government’s $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package, and levy funds from the Australian Apple Marketing Levy managed by Hort Innovation.

Cider Australia has established an Australian Cider Day to fall on the second Saturday of March each year. The purpose of day is to raise awareness of the 100% Australian Grown trust mark and create an occasion to educate drinkers and celebrate Australian Cider. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is just over one week left to enter the 2022 Australian Cider Awards!

Cider producers and brand representatives are invited to enter ciders, speciality ciders and apple & pear spirits in Australia’s largest and most prestigious cider show.

Entries will be assessed blind by an accomplished panel of beverage and food industry professionals led by chair Master Sommelier Sebastian Crowther and including international guest judge Yann Gilles from France.

President of Cider Australia Warwick Billings said the Awards create an opportunity for entrants to market their Award-winning products with a recognised and respected stamp of quality, helping customers choose great examples of the many cider styles available in Australia.

“We are looking forward to announcing the winners at Australian cider industry’s annual gala dinner to be held in South Australia for the first time, at Lot 100 in the Adelaide Hills”, said Warwick.

Registrations to the Awards close on Friday 14 October. Enter online via myaca.melbourneroyal.com.au

Tickets to the presentation dinner are available via Eventbrite.

FULL DETAILS ON AWARD CLASSES AND RULES CAN BE FOUND HERE.

2022 Australian Cider Awards – Key dates

Entries open	Thu 8 Sep
Entries close	Fri 14 Oct
Deliver entries	Mon 17 Oct – Fri 28 Oct
Judging (closed to the public)	Mon 7 & Tue 8 Nov (William Angliss Institute, Melbourne)
Awards presentation dinner	Fri 18 Nov (Lot 100, Adelaide Hills)

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Media enquiries

Contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on
0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

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 AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.

About the Awards

The 2022 Australian Cider Awards will be held in Spring 2022. The Awards is the largest cider competition in Australia and is leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across Australia. Judging of the 2022 Awards will be held on 7-8 November 2022 at the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne. The panel comprises 7 full judges and 4 associates and brings expertise from across the alcoholic beverage industry including:

• chair Sebastian Crowther (Real Wines)
• international guest Yann Gilles (Malus & Vitis, France)
• Nyall Condon (Flying Brick Cider Co)
• Lucy Maddox (Forest Dweller Wines)
• Vanessa Altmann (Mighty Craft)
• Lisa Cardelli (Terroir Selections)
• Dr Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay (NSW Department of Primary Industries)

Cider Australia has opened entries to the 2021 Australian Cider Awards!

President of Cider Australia and chair of the Awards organising team, Warwick Billings, said the tenth annual show will go ahead for the first time in more than two years with the judging to be held in Melbourne in January.

Record numbers of entries are anticipated in Australia’s largest ‘blind’ cider tasting which sets the benchmark for cider shows across Australia.

“This year’s Schedule has 29 classes including a new Herbs/Spices class and provision for low and no-alcohol products to enter for the first time, keeping the Awards contemporary and in line with the market”, said Warwick.

“The team has been ready and preparing for the Awards despite Covid-19, and the window of opportunity is now here.

“We are glad we hung in there and the show is finally going to happen as it will bring a lot of festive spirit to the Australian cider community”, Warwick said.

Registrations open today via myaca.rasv.com.au and close 3 December.  

 

FULL DETAILS ON AWARD CLASSES AND RULES CAN BE FOUND HERE.

 

2021 Australian Cider Awards – Key dates

Entries Open	Tue 9 Nov 2021
Entries Close	Fri 3 Dec 2021
Deliver Entries	Mon 6 – Fri 24 Dec 2021
Judging (closed to the public)	Tue 18 & Wed 19 Jan 2022
Awards Presentation	To be advised

 

cideraustralia.org.au

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES

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

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 AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.

About the Awards

The 10th annual Australian Cider Awards will be held in late 2021/early 2022 following its postponement in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic. The Awards is the largest cider competition in Australia and is leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across Australia. It promotes and rewards excellence in cider production and bring together cider makers, industry suppliers, communicators, retailers, sommeliers and consumers. In 2019 the Awards received a record 276 entries from 84 Australian and international producers.

Cider Australia is launching the Best Cider Selection of the Year Awards to identify and acknowledge venues that offer customers an excellent selection of ciders.

The Best Cider Selection Awards will accept nominations from licensed establishments and liquor retailers across Australia in three categories – Pub/Restaurant, Liquor Retailer and Cidery/Cellar Door.

President of Cider Australia, Warwick Billings, said the new competition is an important progression for the cider industry as cider palates evolve and consumers seek out new tasting and food matching experiences.

“Our aim is to reward the venue owners, managers and sommeliers that go the extra mile to present their customers with interesting, unique and delicious cider choices”, said Warwick.

“The Awards will help people find venues that serve great cider, whether they are looking to have an after-work drink, casual weekend lunch or a high-end restaurant meal.

Entries will be assessed on the quality, diversity and suitability of the ciders on offer, as well as efforts to educate and assist customers to select products.

Category winners will receive a trophy, marketing collateral and social media opportunities.

Entries open next week and close on 29 October.

 

COMPETITION DETAILS ARE ON THE CIDER AUSTRALIA WEBSITE.

Best Cider Selection of the Year Awards – Key dates

Entries Open	Early October 2021
Entries Close	29 October 2021
Winners Announced	Mid November 2021

cideraustralia.org.au/

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES

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

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 AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.

The Best Cider Selection of the Year Awards expand Cider Australia’s existing efforts to benchmark and promote the cider industry and from 2022 will be incorporated into the annual Australian Cider Awards program. The Australian Cider Awards were postponed in 2020 and remain on hold in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The cider industry’s annual information exchange and networking event, AusCider 2020, is being held in the Perth Hills, Western Australia from 3-6 June.

The event, hosted by Cider Australia, connects cider producers, fruit growers, researchers, suppliers and other cider industry representatives from Australia and overseas.

Sam Reid, President of Cider Australia, said the conference will deliver a program of cider education with technical, sensory, production and business-related sessions.

“The theme of this year’s conference is focused on craft cider and how cideries can scale up with integrity,” said Mr Reid.

“We have seen exponential growth in cideries across the country in the last decade and there is demand from producers for information to both meet the increased consumer interest in our product and ensure businesses are sustainable and successful going forward.”

“Bringing the conference to WA this year means that for many local, Western Australian producers will, for the first time be able to properly engage with Cider Australia and our members. We hope to forge stronger linkages with the WA cider community moving forward.”

Andrew Carruthers, owner and cidermaker at Carmel Cider Company in the Perth Hills, said the cider industry in Western Australia was at a pivotal point and the conference would help a lot of businesses take that extra step.

“There are around 30 active cider producers in Western Australia,” said Mr Carruthers.

“They are all creating incredible products and many are ready to take the plunge into scaling up, but it is the fear of the unknown that often holds people back.

“The conference will cover everything from variety developments and suitability to venue management and branding, and the sharing of knowledge, experience, mistakes and successes will be hugely advantageous.”

This is the first time Australia’s independent peak body for the cider industry has held its annual conference in Western Australia.

AusCider 2020 is proudly sponsored by Lallemand, Winequip, Plasdene and Kegstar and is supported by the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, City of Kalamunda, Business Events Perth, Batlow CiderFest and the Department of Primary Industries New South Wales.

For more information, please visit www.cideraustralia.org.au/auscider

 

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES

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

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 (AusCider) and the Australian Cider Awards.

About AusCider

AusCider 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 overseas. The Batlow CiderFest committee and the NSW Department of Primary Industries organised and convened the first seven conferences (2012-2018) in Batlow, NSW. In 2019, Cider Australia (CA) and Batlow CiderFest (BCF) agreed to transition management of the event to the peak industry body and AusCider 2019 was successfully held in Hobart, Tasmania. As part of the agreement between CA and BCF, the AusCider conference will continue to rotate annually between the key cider producing states of Australia.  We are looking forward to heading to Western Australia in 2020!

Register your interest in exhibiting at an in-market Cider Australia event   

Craft cider producers who are looking to market their brands overseas are invited to register their interest for an in-market Cider Australia event in 2020.

The event would be an opportunity to launch the ‘100% Australian Grown’ trust mark and brand proposition, which were developed as part of a $500,000 investment from the Australian Government’s $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package (the $50m Package) to market and grow Australian craft cider internationally.

By launching the trust mark in market, cider producers would be educating distributors and importers about the quality and origin of Australian craft cider ingredients and raising the profile of the category as a premium product.   

Event concept

• The event would be part of a larger campaign to build a sustainable cider industry in Australia and establish an export market for local brands.
• Wine Australia would invest $50m Package funds in the event to subsidise the user pays element.
• Costs to exhibitors would include participation fees (approx. $3,000–$3,500, plus shipping costs and travel, accommodation and daily expenses).
• A May/June 2020 timeframe would be preferable, given the $50m Package ends June 2020.
• In selecting the event location, consideration would be given to Cider Australia’s target markets (i.e. China, Japan, UK and USA) and opportunities to leverage other events.
• An event format that enables cider tastings and networking would be ideal.
• The target audience would be distributors and importers in market.
• Export-readiness training would be offered to participating cider producers prior to the event (and would be covered by the participation fee). The training would include guidance on how to apply the brand proposition and trust mark in the chosen market.

Cider producer participation

Participating cider producers would need to:

• register their trade mark in the relevant market
• be currently exporting or looking to establish export markets for their brand(s)
• have product available for shipment in early 2020 (end of January approx.), and
• consent to Wine Australia and Cider Australia managing communication, development and execution of all marketing activity associated with the event.

Please register your interest via email (office@cideraustralia.org.au) by Friday 20 December 2019.

For more information about the trust mark and brand proposition, visit https://www.cideraustralia.org.au/backtoearth 

Support local fruit growers and producers this cider season

The time to celebrate with craft cider is here. Whether its sweet, dry or medium, those who enjoy drinking a good quality Australian craft cider can now easily identify the quality and origin of ingredients by looking for the 100% Australian grown trust mark on cider labels across 60 brands.

A world-first, the trust mark will help cider consumers make more informed choices when buying craft cider made with 100% Australian grown apples or pears.

Cider has been increasing in popularity in Australia with 13.6 per cent of the adult population now choosing to consume the beverage when unwinding with an alcoholic drink¹. However, less than 15 per cent of Australia’s cider market comprises craft ciders made with 100% Australian grown fruit, and current labelling laws make it difficult to identify the origin of fruit in cider.

The launch of the trust mark initiative helps Aussies to support local fruit growers, craft cider producers and the regional communities in which they operate. It’s also hoped the trust mark will drive significant growth for the Australian craft cider industry, raising its profile both domestically and internationally.

The trust mark is only available to Cider Australia members to ensure the cider produced meets an industry standard, while providing complete integrity within the market.

The initiative is part of a larger campaign to build a sustainable cider industry in Australia and establish an export market for local brands. Cider Australia has been working with Wine Australia to develop the trust mark and brand proposition after receiving a $500,000 boost from the Australian Government’s $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package to market and grow Australian craft cider internationally. Trust mark development has also been supported by levy funds from the Australian Apple Marketing Levy, managed by Hort Innovation, a not-for-profit, grower-owned Research and Development Corporation (RDC) for Australia’s horticulture industry.

www.cideraustralia.org.au 

^{1 http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7550-wine-most-popular-but-beer-most-drunk-201804060631}

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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. 

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

To interview Cider Australia spokespeople and other industry representatives, please contact: 

Adrienne Pearson or Roberta Marcroft, Write Away Communication + Events

Ph: 02 9978 1400, Email: adrienne_pearson@writeaway.com.au roberta@writeaway.com.au 

Apple and pear trees have started to blossom as the countdown begins to Australia’s largest cider show.

Entries to the 2019 Australian Cider Awards are due this Friday 27 September with another record year of entries anticipated.

Show organiser Cider Australia is ready to welcome this year’s international guest Tom Oliver from the Oliver’s Cider & Perry (UK) who will bring a well-rounded perspective to the already impressive judging panel.

All producers and marketers that sell cider in Australia are encouraged to enter the competition to benchmark their products, receive feedback from independent experts and compete for medals which are a recognised stamp of excellence.

Award winners will be announced at a gala dinner on Friday 8 November.

The Awards promote and reward excellence in cider production and bring together cider makers, industry suppliers, communicators, retailers, sommeliers and consumers.

Enter the Awards via https://myaca.rasv.com.au

FULL DETAILS ON AWARD CLASSES INCLUDING THE STYLE GUIDE AND RULES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE CIDER AUSTRALIA WEBSITE.  

Tickets to the Australian Cider Awards Dinner are $135 and available through Eventbrite.

www.cideraustralia.org.au 

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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 (AusCider) and the Australian Cider Awards.

Australian Cider Awards

The 9th annual Australian Cider Awards will be held in Spring 2019. It is the largest cider competition in Australia and is leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across Australia. Last year the Awards received 260 entries from Australian and international producers. Judging of the 2019 Awards will be held on 22-23 October 2019 at the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne. The panel comprises 7 full judges and 4 associates and brings expertise from across the alcoholic beverage industry including:

• Chair Sebastian Crowther MS (REAL Wines)
• Guest UK judge Tom Oliver
• Nathan Hyde (InterGO Partners)
• James Kendell (Small Acres Cyder)
• Loïc Le Calvez (Wine Truth)
• Jody Scott (NZ’s Zeffer Cider)

Tom Oliver – Biography

Tom Oliver leads a fabulously full life. He is a farmer and the sound engineer and tour manager for The Proclaimers, but it’s for the quality of the ciders and perries he makes in Ocle Pychard, Herefordshire and his collaborations with brewers and cidermakers, that he has gained a reputation around the world. He enjoys drinking cider only just slightly more than he enjoys talking about it but most of all it is the people around cider that stimulates and excites him.

Key dates

Entries Open	Mon 8 Jul
Entries Close	Fri 27 Sep
Deliver Entries	Mon 30 Sep – Fri 11 Oct
Judging (media representatives are invited to visit the judging but this is closed to public)	Tue 22 & Wed 23 Oct (Melb)
Awards Presentation	Fri 8 Nov (Melb)

For more details please contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au. Follow the Awards via twitter @cideraustralia and the #australianciderawards hashtag.

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.