Don’t like beer or wine? This could be your drink

When Clare and John Mackie bought an apple orchard and cidery in the central Victorian town of Daylesford in 2015, the couple thought they were embarking on a relaxing tree-change. They’d never made cider before, but how hard could it be?

“The previous owners were selling three styles of traditional cider,” says Clare. She had visions of making small amounts of dry, medium and sweet cider for sale in the cafe. But the Mackies soon realised that the cider market in Australia is much more complex than they expected.