She's apples: why cider is a must on your menu | hospitality magazine by rebello wines

She's apples: why cider is a must on your menu | Hospitality Magazine

25/09/2015 3:43 pm

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She's apples: why cider is a must on your menu 7 July, 2014

Christine Salins Tweet

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If you don’t have cider on your drinks list, you’re missing the boat, writes Christine Salins.

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The growth of cider sales in Australia over the past few years has been phenomenal and the trend shows no signs of abating. According to IBISWorld, the current $900 million market in Australia will rise to $2.2 billion a year by the end of 2018-19.

So why is cider so popular? Well, it goes well with our alfresco lifestyle. It’s lighter on the palate and lower in alcohol than wine - most are around 4.5 percent or below. Plus it comes in convenient individual bottles or kegs.

Cider is more than twice as popular with people under 30 than over 50, according to VicHealth. Image: www.followmefoodie.com

Latest from Beverage It may also be good for us. In times gone by, doctors prescribed cider for everything from rheumatism and gallstones to melancholy and aging. A VicHealth report released in January said consumers saw cider as “less bloating” than other alcohol.

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What age groups does cider appeal to? Cider is more than twice as popular with people under 30 than over 50, according to VicHealth.

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Roy Morgan Research says that proportionally, however, growth in consumption has been consistent across ages, genders, city dwellers and country folk. Yes, everyone loves it.

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What should you look for? It’s important to read the label, but you might need to do some detective work because a loophole in Australian labelling laws means that products don’t have to be made in the traditional way from apples or pears. Products made with syrups, concentrates, flavourings and colours can be labelled as cider.

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/beverage/she-s-apples-why-cider-is-a-must-on-your-menu

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She's apples: why cider is a must on your menu | Hospitality Magazine

25/09/2015 3:43 pm

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If the label highlights a regional source for the fruit, the cider is much more likely to be real and fresh. If the label says the cider is “made from local and imported ingredients”, or if it doesn’t mention anything at all about the source of fruit, there’s a high chance it is made with syrups and concentrates. Frank’s Cider, available at Melbourne’s Crown Casino and numerous other venues on the east coast, emphasises that its ciders are not made with concentrates. “Much like wine, the quality and depth of a cider’s flavour is a direct result of the trees from which we source the fruit,” said its producer, Julian Alcorso. Rebello Wines’ Matt and Ruth Gallace, who can’t keep up with demand for their Cheeky Rascal cider, say the secret to making good cider is in using traditional winemaking and agricultural techniques with fresh fruit, no water and no concentrate, flavourings, colours or additives. Their 100 percent fruit cider is not as sweet as cider made with water “but it’s the authentic fruit flavour”.

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/beverage/she-s-apples-why-cider-is-a-must-on-your-menu

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She's apples: why cider is a must on your menu | Hospitality Magazine

25/09/2015 3:43 pm

Favourite flavours? Despite there being enough cider flavours to fill a fruit bowl, apple wins hands down. VicHealth found two-thirds (66 percent) of cider drinkers preferred apple. Pear was the next most popular (15 percent). Only eight percent selected strawberry, three percent opted for raspberry and three percent for blackberry.

What’s in a name? Perhaps it’s because of the younger demographic, but marketers are having a lot of fun with cider. Dirty Granny, made by Matilda Bay, is so named because it is darker and more rustic in colour than other ciders. Dcider, from the Southern Highlands, has an ostentatious bright pink label and lots of puns around the name. “Dlicious, dfinitive and in dmand...Not sure if you’re a cider drinker? Try ours and let it be the Dcider.” Endless Cider, which makes apple cider and pear cider from Gippsland fruit, stands out in the crowd with its bright stripey packaging. Available from leading Melbourne restaurants, including Melbourne Wine Room, the stripey theme continues through to the giraﬀe on its website.

Do cider drinkers like it cheap? The Aussie palate for cider is becoming increasingly sophisticated and consumers are prepared to pay for quality, according to Ruth Gallace. Their Cheeky Rascal cider is priced similar to wine. “Fruit costs a lot more than water and flavouring. The consumers who know and love our brand recognise that.”

Food matches? Two of the most famous cider regions, Somerset in England and Normandy in France, are also the home of famous cheeses - cheddar and camembert - and you couldn’t go wrong with either. Cider also goes well with grilled fish, smoked salmon and salads. The sweetness of cider works well with fatty and spicy dishes like pork belly, and apple is always a great match for pork sausages and roasts.