Australian Cider Awards

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AUSTRALIAN CIDER AWARDS

Cider Australia runs the annual Australian Cider Awards to promote and reward excellence in cider production and bring together cider makers, industry representatives, communicators, retailers, sommeliers and consumers.
As the largest cider show in Australia, the Awards is at the cutting edge of cider judging and is highly respected nationally and internationally.
Cider Australia maintains a comprehensive Style Guide as part of the Australian Cider Awards. The 2025 Style Guide has 31 classes in three sections - Standard, Specialty and Intensified/Distilled. The Style Guide was developed in consultation with the prestigious Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP) and is updated each year.

History

The Australian Cider Awards was established in 2011 by CiderOz, led by cider apple expert David Pickering and producers James and Gail Kendell, as a way to encourage quality improvements and educate consumers about the diversity of cider.
The inaugural competition had close to 100 entries, and was judged by a panel of wine and beer experts in Orange, NSW. With 18 medals awarded, the competition proved an excellent opportunity for Australian producers to benchmark their products and learn about cider. Entries to the competition have grown steadily each year since.
In 2014, the organisation of the Awards was handed over to Cider Australia. A committee of volunteers now runs the competition in Melbourne, with the focus moving towards education, improving consistency in cider shows across Australia and building knowledge and experience in judging.

Leading the way

The Awards is leading the standardization and improvement of cider judging across Australia. In 2015, we developed a Style Guide tailored specifically to the Australian market that defines how products in each class should present in terms of aroma and flavour, appearance, mouthfeel and overall impression.
Each year, we bring an international cider expert to Australia to join the judging panel, run technical seminars and add an international perspective to the proceedings. In past years we have been honoured to host Tom Oliver, Andrew Lea and Bill Bradshaw from the UK, Gary Awdey, Eric West and Darlene Hayes from the US, Malcolm Reeves from New Zealand, Claude Jolicoeur from Canada, Eduardo Vázquez Coto from Spain and Yann Gilles from France.
We invest substantially in educating and training producers, judges and competition organisers, and share knowledge with regional cider shows across Australia. We are also developing best practice judging and organisational policies and protocols.

If you would like to get involved in the awards planning or as a steward please be in touch.
All queries about the Awards should be directed to awards@cideraustralia.org.au