2026 AUSTRALIAN CIDER AWARDS RESults

2026 Trophy winners:

BEST IN SHOW – MC CIDER 2018
FLYING BRICK CIDER CO, VIC, AUSTRALIA 94PTS

BEST NEW WORLD CIDER – FEMME FATALE ROSÉ CIDER 2026
SMALL ACRES CYDER, NSW, AUSTRALIA 94PTS

BEST TRADITIONAL CIDER – MC CIDER 2018
FLYING BRICK CIDER CO, VIC, AUSTRALIA 94PTS

BEST PERRY – WILLIAM PEAR CIDER
THE APPLE THIEF, NSW, AUSTRALIA 91PTS

BEST SPECIALTY CIDER OR PERRY – SOUR CHERRY
SPREYTON CIDER CO, TAS, AUSTRALIA 94PTS

BEST INTENSIFIED / DISTILLED CIDER OR PERRY – APPLE BRANDY CLASSIC
WILLIE SMITH’S, TAS, AUSTRALIA 93PTS

BEST AUSTRALIAN CIDER OR PERRY – MC CIDER 2018
FLYING BRICK CIDER CO, VIC, AUSTRALIA 94PTS

BEST INTERNATIONAL CIDER OR PERRY* – BITTER HARRY 2021
PECKHAM’S CIDERY & ORCHARD , NEW ZEALAND 93PTS

MOST SUCCESSFUL SMALL PRODUCER
LENSWOOD CIDER, VIC, AUSTRALIA

MOST SUCCESSFUL LARGER PRODUCER
WILLIE SMITH’S TASMANIAN CIDER, TAS, AUSTRALIA

BEST SINGLE VARIETAL CIDER – David Pickering Memorial Trophy
WILLIAM PEAR
THE APPLE THIEF, NSW, AUSTRALIA 91PTS

* Note that international ‘guest’ entries are only eligible for the Best International Cider or Perry Trophy.

 For a complete list of award and medal winners, download the
2026 Australian Cider Awards Results Booklet

 Media enquiries
Contact Cider Australia executive officer Rosie Zollinger on 0427 566 607  rosie@cideraustralia.org.au 
or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

About Cider Australia
Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2012 and funded by cider businesses and sponsors. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policymakers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference, AusCider, and the Australian Cider Awards.

About the Awards
The 14th annual Australian Cider Awards were held in October 2025. The Awards are the largest cider competition in Australia and are leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across Australia. Judging of the Awards is held at the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne. The panel comprises judges with vast expertise from across the alcoholic beverage industry.
This year a field of over 230 local and international entries was judged by a highly skilled, diverse panel of nine judges, led by chair Briony Liebich of consultancy Flavour Logic. Briony comments, “One of the highlights this year was the strength across multiple classes, showing that quality is improving in every category. It made the job of assigning medals more challenging, but also more exciting. A real testament to the hard work and innovation happening in cider production.“

About the Awards
The 14th annual Australian Cider Awards were held in October 2025. The Awards are the largest cider competition in Australia and are leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across Australia. Judging of the Awards is held at the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne. The panel comprises judges with vast expertise from across the alcoholic beverage industry.
This year a field of over 230 local and international entries was judged by a highly skilled, diverse panel of nine judges, led by chair Briony Liebich of consultancy Flavour Logic. Briony comments, “One of the highlights this year was the strength across multiple classes, showing that quality is improving in every category. It made the job of assigning medals more challenging, but also more exciting. A real testament to the hard work and innovation happening in cider production.“


JUDGES
The judging panel included expertise from across the alcoholic beverage industry:
Max Allen (Chair) (Wine & Drinks Writer)

ASSOCIATE JUDGES
Katrina Vasquez (Dan Murphy’s), Marianne Smith (Lang Lang Cider Co)
Rotating panel: Jo-Anne Fahey, Adam Galle, Mark Ellis, Tatania King, Nick Geoghaegan, Simon Frost