Figures show the craft cider industry in Tasmania now produces more than one million litres of cider per year, with about 20 craft producers currently operating across the state.

And among them is Adam D’Arcy, the president of Cider Tasmania, who is a respected local and national cider judge, a member of the Tasmanian Cider Trail and also the owner of Plenty Cider, in Tasmania’s Derwent Valley.

D’Arcy was a winemaker before turning his hand to making cider, but switching his attention from grapes to apples is certainly a move that is paying off.

His cider range – which includes flavours like apple and cherry, apple and quince, and apple and blueberry, as well as traditional apple cider – has quickly attracted attention since being launched at the Taste of Summer at the end of 2019, and has picked up a string of prestigious awards.

But for D’Arcy, owning his own business is about far more than making good cider – it’s about pushing himself to continually learn and improve; it’s about showcasing the Tasmanian brand in the best possible light; it’s about sharing his love of cider making with others; it’s about value-adding and making use of products that would otherwise be discarded; and, most importantly, it’s about creating a legacy for his young family.

D’Arcy grew up in South Australia and spent his school holidays working in vineyards which sparked a keen interest in all things related to wine production. At age 19 he was fortunate to spend a vintage learning from the best at award-winning Langhorne Creek winery and says this cemented his decision to become a winemaker.

“I was fascinated by wineries and winemaking,’’ the now 40-year-old recalls of his younger years.

“There were lots of big, stainless steel tanks and pumps and presses – all these big machines processing a lot of grapes at large-scale wineries, and it was quite fascinating to see how they made their wine.’’

After gaining winemaking experience in his home state, D’Arcy headed to Tasmania 13 years ago, working first with Winemaking Tasmania – where he met his wife, Grace – before joining the team as production manager at Willie Smith’s for two years.

It was a time when craft cider making was still in its infancy in Tasmania and D’Arcy says there was a lot of opportunity for product development and growth within the industry.

He and Grace – who has a background in finance and admin – decided to combine their industry knowledge and start their own cider brand, inspired by Grace’s family property at Plenty, about 10 minutes from New Norfolk.

D’Arcy continued to work part-time in various roles – including as a winemaker at Derwent Estate – while building his processing facility and making cider on weekends, before quitting those jobs to focus solely on launching his own enterprise.

And while it was an exciting time, it was also daunting, as D’Arcy was keen to ensure he made himself – and the rest of Tasmania – proud.

“I was very confident in my ability of cidermaking, or beverage production full stop,’’ he says.

“But certainly there is pressure when it’s my name against my brand. It’s even more important than ever to get it right. It’s not me doing it for another brand now, it’s me doing it for myself. It wasn’t other people that were contributing to the success of the brand, it was me.’’

But a string of accolades soon came, and public enthusiasm was strong, indicating that D’Arcy was on the right path.

“The last two years we’ve dominated the show scene on a national level,’’ D’Arcy says proudly.

In 2023 they were awarded Best in Show for their Apple and Blueberry Cider, along with gold medals for Cornucopia – a traditional style cider – and Apple and Quince Cider, while also being named best small producer in Australia.

They backed this up in 2024, again being named best small producer in Australia at the National Cider Awards in October and have also fared well locally in the Royal Tasmanian Fine Food Awards, taking out the Champion and Reserve Champion cider awards.

“It’s always nice to get positive feedback from the judging scene,’’ D’Arcy says.

“And it’s not just one cider doing well. It’s a broad range, and I think what really interests people about our brand is the depth of variety and complexity that our ciders produce.’’

Their modern cidery, featuring a bar and plenty of indoor/outdoor seating, is opposite the Salmon Ponds, about 10 minutes from New Norfolk, and attracts both locals and tourists. There are food trucks regularly on site – which offer wood-fired pizzas and other meals – to accompany the cider and other drinks the D’Arcys produce, including alcoholic lemonade and traditional ginger beer.

Plenty Cider is also served to patrons at major events across the state including Taste of Summer and Festivale – and next on the calendar is the Derwent Valley Autumn Festival at New Norfolk, on April 13.

D’Arcy says the great thing about cider is that it has broad appeal – where boutique spirits like whisky and gin might typically appeal to an older, more mature palate, and often require more financial outlay, cider is increasingly being consumed by a younger cohort who have embraced the refreshing, fruity flavours of craft cider, which they also consider more budget-friendly.

“It’s more accessible,’’ D’Arcy says, adding that his target market is drinkers aged between 24 and 65.

D’Arcy says producers like Plenty Cider may be a little more expensive than commercial, ready-to-drink cider products, but people are increasingly willing to pay more for a local, high-quality product.

“Everything has its time in the sun and I think cider, for good reason, is certainly having a moment,’’ D’Arcy says.

“And because craft cider is being made from Tasmanian fruit, it sets it apart … Tasmanians, in particular, are getting behind it, and tourists want the genuine Tasmanian experience as well.’’

Outgoing Brand Tasmania chief executive Todd Babiak agrees that cider is having a moment in the spotlight, and says locals and tourists are increasingly seeking out premium Tasmanian products like craft cider as they value “passionate, charismatic people doing something uniquely Tasmanian”.

“We know from research that two-thirds of Australians are willing to pay more for anything Tasmanian, because they associate us with this craft tradition, this artisanal tradition,’’ he says.

“It’s this beautiful, natural advantage we have and what can grow here, and all the care and creativity going into that. Whether it’s sparkling wine, pinot, gin or cider, there’s just been a move towards quality and people are realising that’s where the value is, that’s what people are increasingly associating Tasmania with.’’

He says in the five years since he first came to Tasmania there has been a huge growth in the cider industry.

And he says this boom is almost like a full-circle moment for Tasmania as the state has always been known as the Apple Isle, for growing apples. And now we’re becoming equally known for making premium cider from those apples.

“In lots of ways, it’s the perfect evocation of where Tasmania is, and was, and where it’s going,’’ Babiak says.

“To me, it’s not about one industry or another, it’s about a bunch of industries all moving in the one direction. Maybe cider is catching up to the lead that whisky and pinot and sparkling have. But I’m not surprised – the cider industry was almost waiting to have a fire lit under it.’’

D’Arcy says when he first became involved with making cider, the craft cider industry was still in its infancy, but there are now many different styles of cider and all are equally good.

More distilleries and breweries means more competition, but it’s also a good incentive to produce the best possible products.

He says the Tasmanian Cider Trail, which brings cider makers together on one website and encourages locals and tourists to download a map and follow a trail to visit multiple cider producers, was a great example of small local businesses championing each other.

The trail features numerous Tasmanian cider makers including Brady’s Lookout Cider, Frank’s Cider, Lost Pippin, Pagan Cider, Simple Cider, Spreyton Cider Co, Red Brick Road Cider, Red Sails and Willie Smith’s.

“We try to support each other, we’re all small businesses … we all want to thrive together,’’ D’Arcy says.

“When you’ve got a good product it’s easy to stand behind it.’’

Apple growing – and subsequent cider production – has a long history in Tasmania. Captain William Bligh is believed to have planted the first apple trees on Bruny Island in 1788, and as Tasmania’s population grew, savvy farmers planted apples in the Huon Valley and the Tamar Valley. But this early apple growing was more of a necessity to ward off disease and hunger, rather than producing cider.

By the late 1800s, as the apple industry boomed, Tasmania was producing more fruit than the population could consume and this led to cider making, a pursuit which caught the attention of Cascade Brewery Co. Already world famous for its beer, Cascade began making cider with Tasmanian apples in 1912. The apple industry continued to grow, with a peak of 126,000 tonnes of apples – in 8.9 million boxes – exported in 1964, primarily to Europe.

But due to changes within the global market – including inflation, greater competition, tariffs and the loss of tax exemptions – the industry began to struggle. And while Tasmania has continued to produce plenty of apples in the decades since, a significant portion of fruit is now used for cider production.

The D’Arcys have a heritage orchard on site, where they grow Kingston Black and Yarlington Mill apple varieties. They also source fruit from other Tassie growers and are pleased to be able to transform the cast-offs from these growers – fruit that is the wrong shape or size and would otherwise be considered “waste” – into premium cider products at their processing facility at Plenty.

“We’re using the best fruit you can get in Tassie,’’ D’Arcy says.

“We’re using what you’d call ‘waste’ from the fruit growers and value-adding to those fruit growers by creating a premium product with their fruit. The cherries we’re processing, there’s nothing wrong with them, they’re the wrong shape or the wrong size. It’s great to use that waste to make something delicious.’’

Before launching their business, the D’Arcys headed overseas on a research trip, which took them to Somerset, in England, and Normandy, in France.

“We tasted a lot of cider – some good and some not so good – and some totally different styles to what we’re used to in Australia,’’ D’Arcy explains.

But, most importantly, the trip – of which a highlight was spending time with world-renowned cidermaker Eric Bordelet in Normandy – gave the D’Arcys “great belief and inspiration” on their journey to create world-class cider, and made them realise that their venture could be more about creating a legacy for their family, rather than just a business.

“When I went to France to research cider production and met the legendary Eric Bordelet, he said to me that perfecting cider would take the rest of my life ... we are continuously building and refining what we do,’’ D’Arcy says.

“The craft industry is not a ‘quick buck’ thing – you’ve got to do it because you love it. This has now become a real legacy thing, it’s about family, and wanting the kids to take this on, and have them involved when we can.’’

Plenty Cider is located on the same property that Grace, now 34, grew up on.

The couple live onsite, with daughters Isabella, 5, and Charlotte, 3.

“They’re able to drink the cherry juice and the apple juice straight off the press,’’ D’Arcy says.

“They get to eat the blueberries and the strawberries, and they think that’s quite cool.

“We work long hours and we work hard, but family comes first – it’s great to be able to have them involved in what we do.’’

He says while there was some risk involved in starting his own business from scratch, the success of the brand has “already exceeded where I thought we’d be”, and D’Arcy is pleased to be part of the new generation of skilled and passionate Tasmanians who are continuing to build Tasmania’s reputation for fine food and drink.

“I feel really proud to be contributing to making Tassie stand out on the national scene,’’ he says.

“It’s a lot of work but we’re glad we made the decision … it’s an exciting journey.’’ •

Plenty Cider’s cidery is open for tastings on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11am-4pm, and is located opposite the Salmon Ponds at Plenty. The D’Arcys will also be serving cider at the Derwent Valley Autumn Festival at New Norfolk on April 13, from 10am-3pm. plentycider.com.au

Find out more about the Tasmanian Cider Trail at tascidertrail.com.au