The Lip - Gold for Thatchers cider
Long-time beer drinker and The Sip editor Ross Lewis casts his eye over the kegs from here and abroad.
A cider from the UK has made a big impression on Australian drinkers in a very short time.
Thatchers Gold was only launched on the local market in January but it has already been recognised as the best in its class.
The premium English drop, which is kegged by Coopers Brewery in South Australia, dominated the recent Australian Cider Awards held in Melbourne.
Thatchers Gold collected the Best In Show, Best Cider and Best Internation Cider/Perry in the judging that featured 150 entries across a record 17 categories.
The judges, chaired by Gary Baldwin and guest expert Malcolm Reeves from New Zealand, said Thatchers was chosen as Best in Show because it showed “complex spiced apple characters and aromas– a lovely example of a medium cider in the traditional style”.
Thatchers is a fourth generation family business crafting cider on its family farm in Somerset, England. From the days when cider was given as part of the farmworkers’ wages, cidermaking skills have been passed down through the family, secret recipes shared and crafts perfected.
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It is enough to make a Queenslander say XXXX.
The Banana Benders’ love for their local beer is renowned. But a change to a menu at Brisbane’s No.1 sports oval just isn’t cricket for those in the Maroon State.
Attendees at this summer’s Australia-India Test at the Gabba won’t be able to get their hands on a XXXX following a new deal on pouring rights at the ground.
Cricket Australia will take control of all Test venues during the series and naturally wants VB and Carlton Mid at the bars.
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Redoak Brewery should have bought a bigger cabinet.
The trophies are piling up for the Sydney operation with a string of prizes in various competitions over the past month.
At the recent World Beer Awards in the UK, Redoak collected Best Stout/Porter for their Baltic Porter and Best Flavoured Beer for their Special Reserve.
The crew also collected the Supreme Champion prize at the International Beer Challenge in England. Their Chateau Sour was the item.
The Sour was also the champion bottled beer at the Sydney Royal Beer and Cider Show.
The victories have provided Redoak with plenty of world-wide attention and should boost their export sales.
