Bursting with new flavours, cider is enjoying its time in the Australian sun. With a crack and a fizz, it’s time to welcome in the warm weather with a drink that has for years turned refreshment into an artform. Whether imported by the caseload or homegrown and bottled here, this cold, bubbly brew is an undisputed hit on the lips around spring racing time.
Champagne? No, we’re talking about cider.
No longer the also-ran of Australia’s alcohol industry, cider has been growing in popularity over the past decade. Offering an alternative to the traditional offerings of beer, wine and spirits, it’s fast becoming the go-to thirst-quencher at bars, hotels and such glamorous events as Melbourne and Sydney’s Spring Carnival race meets.
Why? Its growing popularity is down to some obvious attributes: it’s lighter than beer, less intense than wine or spirits and genuinely refreshing on a long, sunny day.
And the numbers stack up. Despite a slight recent dip in Australia’s alcohol consumption across the board, cider has been bucking the trend. Back in 2011, sales grew by 30 per cent and they’ve continued to climb since. With such success, many cider-makers could be forgiven for quoting a famous American phrase: ‘How do you like them apples?’
We have long recognised the importance of producing glasses that provide maximum appeal to any given drink and, as you can see from our photo shoot, we have a collection that will showcase all varieties of cider.
We’ve designed conventional glassware that is ideal for a casual bar drink and voluminous enough to hold a healthy scoop of ice, alongside long-stemmed, curved glasses that present a dash of sophistication.
So, as the temperatures rise and the outdoor events begin, get ready to put away the Champagne flutes and pour the cider.
