Cider in Australia – A look at how that industry has Canada beat

September 18, 2012 by loxyisme 4 Comments

This is the cider section of a Melbourne Liquor store we wandered into called McCoppins:

I have yet to find a selection like that in Western Canada and to be fair, most bottle shops in Australia were not THAT stocked.

However, even the most average stores (including ones in Adelaide and Brisbane) had more selection than what I find at even the best liquor stores here in Vancouver.

So, does more selection equal better ciders? Yes… and no.

While there I tried 10 kinds by 8 brands. (Reviews to come!) I liked them all more than Dukes. One brand in particular, Old Mout Cider, knocked my socks off. But none would top my love of Sea Cider.

But there is something to be said for selection.

One thing I liked about retailers in Australia is that you can buy just one of the bottles from a four/six-pack.  That’s probably why I was able to try so many whilst also traveling through some of the best Aussie wine regions, namely Coonawarra and the Barossa Valley.

And to be fair, lots of these ciders aren’t Australian-made.  Glove tap to New Zealand.  There were also more ciders from Europe. Shouldn’t we be getting those here? Are we running into liquor import issues? How come I don’t see any ciders from Eastern Canada. I know they exist.

It appears a few are linked to breweries, some linked to wineries, and others stand alone.  But in general there are just more available and I want to know why that isn’t happening here.

Cider is a great beverage because it’s refreshing in the summer, and can be warmed in the winter. As I watch the microbrewing industry really take off and the wineries hold a starring role in BC, I wonder, where’s the cider? Don’t we have ideal apple growing conditions?

As a food lover, I watch trends from Oregon and Washington State funnel up here a few years after they have hit it big. (Like the fancy doughnuts now, and I predict full-fat crazy flavoured ice cream will do next)

Oregon, Washington, Australia and New Zealand have figured out that cider is more than just Strongbow and Growers. Now it’s time for BC to figure it out too.

I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Sea Cider and Merridale, but I also want them to have some competition!

I want choices, damn it.