GABS 2018 Beer, Cider & Food Fest – www.gabsfestival.com – Renowned as one of the world’s leading beer festivals is back, GABS brings together the best breweries from Australia and New Zealand for a non-stop celebration of craft beer and cider.

One of the most anticipated aspects of GABS 2018 is the addition of ‘Festival Ciders’ for a second year in a row. Made especially for GABS, these will smash all flavour expectations with crisp, fizz and playful tastes. These one-off ciders can’t be found anywhere else in the world and their flavour combinations have never been seen or tasted before. They are going to blow your mind; you can thank us later.

This year’s 13 exciting new Festival Ciders on offer are as below:

1. BATLOW CIDER CO HOPPED ‘RIPE-BENA’ SAISON CIDER

Batlow cider have combined their famous apples with Ribena to create a cider with a spicy citrus boost. Dry hopping the cider to retain as many of the flavours as possible, the blend of these two key ingredients is a natural punch.

2. CHEEKY GROG CO – ‘CHEEKY PERRY’

Cheeky Grog Co turns fruit destined for green juices into great ciders. Placing their famous cheeky twist on second grade fruit, giving it an extra life.

3. DEVILS BREWERY – ‘GRANDMA’S JAM CIDER’

Instead of having a spread of your classic grandma’s jam on toast, have a sip of Devil’s Brewery’s ‘Grandma’s Jam Cider’. Made from a treasure trove of handmade Tasmanian jams, you will be able to taste the love in every sip!

4. GRAND RIDGE BREWERY – ‘TWISTED SISTER APPLE CINNAMON CIDER’

Supporting the ‘Need for Feed’ program the Grand Ridge Brewery cider is made from apples that would usually go to waste. The touch of cinnamon in the ‘Twisted Sister Apple Cinnamon Cider’ gives the apple cider an extra layer. What is considered ‘ugly fruit’ sure does make beautiful cider!

5. LOBO CIDER – ‘LOBO TRADLY’

Lobo cider is all about classic cider apples. Dabinett, Kingston Black, Yarlington Mill and Somerset Red Streak. Traditional in style this is classic cider, done right.

6. MCCASHIN’S BREWERY – ‘ROCHDALE MOJITO CIDER’

Who doesn’t like a good mojito? The team from Mccashin’s Brewery have infused crisp apple cider with crushed mint and lime juice, aging it in rum barrels for that classic mojito mix.

Mojito? Mo problems.

7. NAPOLEONE – ‘HONEY I’N CIDER’

Honey in cider? This is all about the deft balance of sweet honey and oaky cider. Using honey from local Yarra Valley hives, it’s the bee’s knees!

8. PECKHAM’S CIDER – ‘YARLINGTON MILL’

With its slow, wild ferment of late picked bittersweet apples, Pechkam’s liken this to a mature farmhouse cheese. It’s all about wild yeast and fruit given time to do its thing.

9. SMALL ACRES CYDER – ‘APRICOT BOMB’

Small Acres co-fermented apricots with apples, and even a few apricot crumble ingredients, in an old Pommeau (apple brandy) barrel. The result? A unique, full bodied, dry cider. It’s a yes from us.

10. SPREYTON CIDER CO – ‘APPLE AND SUMMER BERRIES CIDER’

To a modern cider base, the Spreyton Cider team have added Tasmanian raspberries and blackcurrants for a non-traditional cider. This one is all about showing off the best Tassie produce.

11. THREE WISE BIRDS CIDER – ‘MORNING GLORY’

Coffee is a common ingredient in beer, but ever had it in cider? This one is blended with cold brew coffee and served on nitro: like an espresso martini and cider hybrid. Yeah, you want to try this.

12. WILLIE SMITH’S CIDER – ‘TANNINATOR’

A big fat tannic cider that bursts with apple aroma, sweetness and a massive tannin finish. It’s Willie Smith’s nod to the hard-core French tanninic cider apples of traditional ciders.

13. ZEFFER CIDER CO – ‘BERRIED ALIVE’

The only cider here inspired by blues singer, Blind Box Paxton. This blends blackberry, blackcurrant and blueberry with crisp apple. Purple, not too sweet, and gorgeously drinkable it will be hard to pass up.

Come and try these ciders GABS 2018

Sydney:

GABS 2018 Sydney is held over two sessions on Saturday 2 June and is being held at The Dome at Sydney Showground, 1 Showground Road, Olympic Park. I’ll be there so come say hi.

For more information visit https://www.gabsfestival.com/sydney-event-info/

New Zealand:

GABS Auckland is held over two sessions on Saturday 30 June and is being held at the ASB Showgrounds, 217 Greenlane West, Epsom, Auckland. For more information visit https://www.gabsfestival.com/auckland-event-info/

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