Cider Success

A CIDER SUCCESS STORY

Cider has been experiencing huge growth over the past decade in Australia. Now with the rise and rise of the boutique cider producer, expect to see that interest in the fizzy fruit ferment bubbling away for some time to come. Ken Gargett reports.

For a drink that has seen such a swell in popularity in recent years, cider is anything but an overnight success. Apples have been used for thousands of years as the basis for alcoholic drinks, partly because until fairly recently, no one ate apples for pleasure. They were simply too bitter – and hence, ideal for fermenting into a refreshing drink.

Just when the first ciders were made, who knows. There is evidence that apples were grown along the Nile nearly 3,500 years ago, but no one is sure if they were fermented. Given that the ancient Egyptians were well known for fermenting beer, it seems likely. There is evidence that when the Romans arrived in Britain in 55 B.C., the locals were enjoying plenty of cider, or something akin to it. Soon, so too were the invaders and they took it with them throughout Europe. The word ‘cider’ is Germanic in origin and came with them when they took their turn to invade Britain in the 9th century.

The settlers in New England were also fans, not least because it was often safer to drink than the water and also had nutritional value for the long winter months. Johnny Appleseed was planting apple trees for cider, not pies.

Today in Australia, cider is once again on the rise – estimates suggest that over the last decade, cider drinkers have gone from around 300,000 to 3 million. Jane Anderson, executive officer for Cider Australia, has provided an overview of the market. 2016 saw cider as the fastest growing category for the year (6.5 per cent off-premise) but it did stagnate the following year, largely caused by a downturn in the larger brands that had the majority of market share. This raises the question, are cider drinkers looking to the craft producers, the smaller and possibly more interesting efforts and moving from the bulk producers? Six brands make up 75 per cent of the cider market, so any slump in their sales adversely affects the entire industry. Taken over five years, cider sales have been static, sitting at around 3 per cent of the off-premise alcoholic beverage market. Cider Australia estimates there are around 140 cider producers in Australia. The latest information available notes that 29 per cent of the producers are found in Victoria, 23 per cent in NSW, 18 per cent in Western Australia, 12 per cent in South Australia, 10 per cent in Tasmania, 7 per cent in Queensland and the last percent, just under, in the ACT.

Things, however, are far from gloomy in the craft segment of the market. Cider Australia defines craft cider as ‘cider made with 100 per cent Australian grown fruit’. Major retailer, Dan drinks trade|33

Murphy’s, has reported craft cider sales increasing by 10 per cent. These figures are supported by producers. Sam Reid from Willie Smith’s in the Huon Valley, Tasmania, confirmed that overall sales were “flattening but the Australian Craft Cider category which is currently around 10 per cent of the market is in 10 – 15 per cent growth and is the next big opportunity for the category given its more premium positioning and therefore larger margin.”

There is also more than a budding industry in exporting cider as well, with the value for the 15/16 period at $16.5 million. The United Kingdom is the largest market, followed by New Zealand, the States and then Japan.

Jane Anderson advises that Cider Australia is taking serious steps to protect the local industry, by way of introducing a Trustmark in early October. It is for use on products containing 100 per cent Australian grown fruit. “This is a really crucial development for the craft segment of the cider category as it will be an easily recognisable way to differentiate cider made with Australian juice versus imported juice concentrate. Currently it is just about impossible for consumers to tell what they’re buying as labels do not have to include information about the origin of the juice.”

From a retail perspective, where better to go than ‘Craft’, an independent store which focuses on small producer wineries, craft beers and ciders, run by respected wine judge, Tony Harper, a long time fan of good cider. Tony notes that at a previous establishment, they “stocked three ciders - a French, a Somerset and Bress. Now we have more than a dozen brands - all artisan, and each quite unique. Some of those brands have three or four in the range.” He suspects his previous establishment would be doing the same. This is the future.

How did this come about? Tony believes that it was partly because of the poor quality of ciders in the past, “like a lot of traditional European wine and wild beers, a large part of the Normandy cider population is brett-infected. That’s now become part of the ‘style-guide’ which I think is bad news. All of them would be better drinks without the addition of feral taint... It’s odd how poor hygiene practice becomes mistaken for regionality simply because it has existed for so long. Ah well …”

So, did the increase in interest follow an

improvement in the product or did the products improve to meet the elevated interest? And does it matter? Tony’s view is that “now there are untold options with a much greater fan-base. Not sure if the cart or the horse happened first in this case. I suspect that better product created the market.”

And how did that come about here? “A welcome shift from largely concentrate-produced ciders to authentic pressed ciders. Similarly the halfway stuff of using Granny Smiths and Pink Ladies has - to a large extent - been replaced by authentic cider apples (smaller, more tart).” Tony notes that Ray Costanzo at Golden Grove “has produced a really good version from Granite Belt apples. And Sutton’s (also on the Granite Belt) has been making a wonderful product for decades.” Sadly, Ray’s production is tiny, but there is no questioning the quality. Tony also references Adam Marks “who was doing farmhouse styles from cider apples 15 years ago under his Press label. Awesome!” I still pull out one of those great ciders every now and again. He also believes that the move to drier styles is a good thing. Don’t we all. Further, barrel ageing is adding to complexity. All of these things have taken our local craft ciders to new levels.

What about from the perspective of a new producer? Martin Rellstab from Sunshine Coast Cider at Woombye (they use Granite Belt apples – a common theme is the move to the regions using the right apples from the best regions, like Tasmania and the Granite Belt) might be the newest kid on the block – his first ciders are yet to hit the market but they are delicious – but he might also be the most experienced cider maker in the country. Martin is a fifth generation cider producer from Switzerland who believes in the potential of the industry in this country. He and wife, Regine, handpick every batch of apples used – Summit Gold, Scarlett O’Hara, Gala and Red Delicious the varieties, with every one inspected. This is where it all starts, “If the base is wrong, the cider doesn’t stand a chance.” The aim is then bottle fermented and a cider low in sugar. He follows the family’s traditions from the cold Swiss cellars.

With people like Martin, the support of the retailers who specialise in these great products and the programs put in place by Cider Australia, expect our local ciders to go from strength to strength.