The cider market has been growing rapidly in Australia, and Australia’s major consumer advocacy group has now undertaken further research on this. In recent taste-test research conducted by CHOICE, Australia’s leading consumer group, CHOICE found the three top-ranked ciders to be a low alcohol French cider, Boulard Cidre de Normandie Doux, British Aspall Draught Suffolk Cider and Australian Mercury Dry Cider. CHOICE reviewed all of the popular ciders consumed in Australia including cider beverages... ...Read more »

Research published today by market research organisation, IBISWorld, predicts that Australians will spend A$25.4 Billion on alcoholic beverages in 2011-12. According to the research, Australians are increasingly choosing premium alcoholic drinks over traditional beers. The report predicts that alcohol spending in Australia will increase by 15.3% over the next five years, reaching A$29.3 Billion in 2016/17. IBISWorld General Manager (Australia) Karen Dobie said that while Australia’s alcohol consumption... ...Read more »

Cider is outpacing all other alcoholic brands in Australia, with “exceptional” sales growth seen over the past year, according to a report released today by international market research company Nielsen. Nielsen’s report shows that, in the past year, cider sales in Australia have increased by just over a third (35 per cent) in value terms and just over a fifth (23 per cent) in volume terms. A spokesperson for Nielsen said that, considering the Australian liquor market is currently decreasing... ...Read more »

While alcoholic cider may only make up a diminutive 1.1 percent value share of national offpremise liquor sales, a report released by The Nielsen Company this week has revealed that the category’s rapid sales growth is set to create some big waves in the Australian liquor industry. Noise surrounding alcoholic cider has amplified over the past 18 months, generating phenomenal growth and a significant increase in value sales within the off premise market. Cider was the fastest growing liquor... ...Read more »

A study by Roy Morgan has shown increased consumption of cider and spirits in 2009, and a drop in the number of drinkers of ready-to-drink premixed beverages, known as RTDs or ‘alcopops’. In December 2009, the estimated number of cider drinkers in Australia was up 45%, to 549,000, over an estimated 379,000 at the same time in 2008 – around 3.3% of Australia’s drinking-age population.  Spirits consumption was up 4.6%, with an extra 200,000 new drinkers. The RTD market lost... ...Read more »

Wine firm Constellation Brands has announced the completion of the sale of its Gaymer Cider Company business to C&C Group PLC of Dublin. The ASX and NYSE-listed company sold their UK cider business for a purchase price of £45 million (A$80m). “The company expects to use the proceeds from the sale to reduce borrowings,” they said in a statement a week after reporting a four per cent drop in third quarter sales.  Read More →

A tour of apple orchards in France and England has led to the discovery of 15 ‘new’ cider apple varieties in Australia.NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) technical officer, David Pickering, said the study tour was supported by Horticulture Australia Ltd to confirm the identity of what appeared to be cider apple varieties in Australian collections. “I had to visit the countries where the apples originated to positively identify the varieties which were growing here and confirm... ...Read more »