Top 5 Apple Ciders at the Craft Beer and Cider Festival

Cider is really changing the alcohol production and consumption scene. With many companies producing cider only being around for 4 or 5 years and some even less the impact they are having on the market is remarkable. Even at the festival itself all the

stalls which had cider or beer and cider has a line up at them but the ones that produced only beer had only a couple of people. I tested apple ciders at the festival to gauge which ones I enjoyed most.

5. Magners. A Irish cider brewed in Ireland. I found their apple cider a little thick and the dark yellow colour turned me off. All the other ciders looked almost like lemonade but Magners was dark and you could not see through it. It was a lot dryer than the other ciders.

4. The Hills Cider Company. Although the apple cider that is company produces is award winning I didn’t think it was the best one available. It tasted a lot like beer with barely a hint of apple. This cider is produced in Australia using 100% local produce.

3. Two Elk – A Swedish cider. The Elks apple cider was fresh and full of flavour. You could taste the apple but it was not overpowering, leaving you feeling refreshed after each sip. This cider is brewed in Sweden and imported.

2. Bilpin Cider. A lovely fresh drink which really let the apple flavours shine. While getting my drink from this stall a security guard was having a drink of this cider and said “you know it’s the best one because I’m here drinking it, I get them all for free but I choose this one”. He was right it’s a great drink. Brewed in the historic town of Bilpin 93km west of Sydney this cider uses local Australian apples to produce its cider.

1. D Cider. A fresh sweet apple taste that didn’t leave the palate feeling overwhelmed, instead you felt refreshed. The apple flavours really mixed well in this drink using pink ladies and some other varieties it gave the drink a bit of complexity and interest.  Having only been making cider for a year this company has really got it right. This cider is produced in the Southern Highlands using apples from Batlow.

The great thing about cider is that their is a flavour there for every taste although I did not like some of the ciders because they were too thick or tasted like beer, the beer drinking who is trying cider would love that drink. The fresher flavours are great for the cider lover or for anyone who has not tried cider but would like to. There is pretty much a cider for everyone.