The International Cider Awards (ICAs) and International Brewing Awards (IBAs) are said to be among the most prestigious awards of their kind. Known for having the highest of standards, judged by industry peers and highlighting the best beers and ciders in the world, they are the awards to win!
We asked well-known cider brand Zeffer, winners of the ‘Champion Cider Trophy’ at the International Cider Awards in 2017, to tell us what it means to win an award of this kind.
Zeffer – the world’s best cider!
Zeffer is a New Zealand cider crafted in sunny Hawke’s Bay by a few friends with a determination to show the world just how good New Zealand craft cider can be. They first started crafting their new generation of New Zealand ciders with an antipodean twist back in 2009.
In 2017, they stole the show by entering the International Cider Awards for the first time.
Keen to launch their Cidre Demi-Sec on to the international stage, they entered the awards with the hope of receiving feedback and international recognition. They were bowled over to walk away with both the ‘Best in Class’ and the overall ‘Champion Cider Trophy’.
Made using a small selection of New Zealand grown heritage cider apple varieties, Zeffer’s Cidre Demi- Sec is a traditional French style medium-sweet cider using wild fermentation. The team knew they had a good product – but to receive this endorsement gave the team the recognition they needed to take the product overseas.
Commenting on why they entered, Jody Scott, head cidermaker said: “We make this cider once a year and we were really happy with the way it turned out, but we were looking for international recognition. The International Cider Awards seemed a great fit for us as it is judged by industry peers who are all producing their own ciders! In winning the award it provided us with wider exposure and gave us a good reason to tell more people about our product.
Growing from the corner of New Zealand to being recognised on the world stage, was everything we could hope for. It reaffirmed that we’re doing things right. We had won several awards before in New Zealand and Australia but nothing on an international scale.”
