Our Craft
CIDER DONE DIFFERENT.
It was a love for experimenting with flavours that helped create the first batch of Darraweit Valley Cider. To this day we’re proud as punch to be doing something we’re passionate about—handcrafting our own cider. We’re still a small cidermaker with big flavour ideas. And by blending real ingredients we continue to create a unique craft cider experience.
OUR UNIQUE CRAFTING PROCESS
We’ve flipped cider psychology on its head. Just like another famous inventor of apple products we start with the user experience first. Our unique flavours and blends are what inspires our product. Then we get through the nitty-gritty of producing our cider with the highest quality.
What truly sets us apart from your average cidermaker is the use of real flavour ingredients. When we add coffee to our cider, we use real coffee. We add freshly roasted beans sourced from our local artisan roaster. Inspired by craft beer, we’ve also experimented with real hops and molasses to create unique flavours. We’re committed to upholding the high level of quality you should expect from hand-crafted cider.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
Darraweit Valley Cider was born out of a thirst for something different and a drive for crafting a better cider experience. It all started with Marc Serafino, a former head chef who always had a passion for experimenting with flavours. In 2010, Marc started to get serious about cider. An intricate perception of flavours led to our distinct cider styles.
We soon discovered that in order to make a great cider, we had to plant our own locally sourced apples. So in 2014, we established Darraweit Valley Cider House in the stunning valleys of the Macedon Ranges. We made our first planting of French and English heritage cider apple varieties that included Kingston Black, Michelin, and Yarlington Mill.
The rural cider-making roller coaster ride has not stopped since and continues to pick up highly talented collaborators along the way. In our short and proud history, we’ve already started to shake things up. Our unique ciders have been recognised with a bunch of accolades and positive reviews.
AUSTRALIAN CIDER AWARDS, NOVEMBER 2021
Best in class in “Herbed/ Spiced Cider” 2021
Hopped Apple “Hop Drop” B#008
AUSTRALIAN CIDER AWARDS, NOVEMBER 2021
Silver in “Apple & Pear Blends” class 2021
Pulp Friction B#005
AUSTRALIAN CIDER AWARDS, NOVEMBER 2021
Bronze in “New World Cider - Medium” class 2021
Fully St'Oaked B#006
AUSTRALIAN CIDER AWARDS, NOVEMBER 2019
Bronze in ‘Experimental Cider or Perry’ class for our 2019 Oaked Apple Cider B#001
AUSTRALIAN CIDER AWARDS, NOVEMBER 2019
Bronze in ‘Apple and Pear Blends’ class for our 2019 Apple and Pear cider B#001
RED HILL CIDER SHOW, MARCH 2020
Silver in ‘Any other style of cider or perry’ 2019 Hopped Apple Cider Batch#003
RED HILL CIDER SHOW, MARCH 2020
Bronze in ‘Any other style of cider or perry’ 2019 Apple and Pear Cider Batch#002