"Melbourne's own" cider making inroads

Article from The Shout.

A couple of 20-something Melburnians have already won plaudits for their brand new cider, which is now getting traction with the Woolworths-owned ALH Group.

Bottled only nine weeks ago, Lucky Duck Apple Cider was developed by cider lovers Colby Kitchin and Shane Capron. It comes after Melbourne-based wine critic Max Allen recently revealed his plans to enter the category.

A last minute entrant into the recent Victorian Microbreweries Showcase, the fledgling Lucky Duck cider swept the pool beating 12 local ciders to take out both People's Choice awards.

Capron told TheShout the new cider is different from the other products on the market firstly because it uses Braeburn apples, which have "a really interesting balance of sweetness and bitters and sharps".

"This gives it a complexity that others don't have," he said.

"We also use an ale yeast, which lengthens the flavour on the palate. A lot of Australian ciders are using a champagne yeast, so it gives us a bigger, bolder flavour profile," said Capron.

"We have found that a lot of beer drinkers who say they are not normally cider drinkers will have it, and then they love it."

He said Lucky Duck is now available at a small number of independent Melbourne bottle shops and select Ritchies IGA stores.

In the on-premise, the cider will soon be on tap at Melbourne venues including Three Degrees, Junction Beer Hall, and the ALH-owned pub, Young and Jacksons.

"ALH as a group, or at least some of their venues, are quite open to tap cider," Capron said.

"A lot of other pubs are happy to have us on bottle but with the tap contracts the way they are you're fighting a bit of an uphill battle.

"Surprisingly enough, ALH has been the most receptive."