Have you ever wanted to make your own cider? Or learn more about its production? Or just wanted to purchase heritage cider with genuine character? Well, now you can! Learmonth Cider Plus is an ‘end-to-end’ enterprise whose sole purpose is to deliver an authentic cider-related experience.
Learmonth Cider Plus: an ‘End to End’ enterprise
Learmonth Cider Plus is an ‘End to End’ (E2E) enterprise governed by Learmonth Foundations. Our focus is on delivering authentic, differentiated products and services to people who value experience:
• Growing (Propagation through to Picking)
• Making (Selection through to Bottling)
• Selling (Packaging through to Distribution).
Our customers are primarily local, regional or Melbourne-based. Learmonth Cider Plus offerings are products and services that provide a high intangible / experiential content, including:
• Training and capability development, and
• Research and development.
Learmonth Cider Plus Product Range
The Learmonth Cider Plus product range includes:
• 321 Cider – Cuvée, Traditional Still, Heritage
• Learmonth Cider – Innovations
• Community Cider – Learning, Training & Making
It is also planned to introduce fresh fruit juices as part of the range
321 Cider: Cuvée, Traditional Still, Heritage
All of the 321 Ciders are made from traditional cider varieties grown in a sustainable way using using organic principles. Low sulphite use is possible because genuine cider varieties tend to be stable.
There are over 20 types of trees which exhibit different characteristics, all of which vary from season to season due to the different growing conditions – so each vintage is different. And because we use cider apples, the cider lasts and changes character over the years.
There are three 321 Cider products:
• Cuvée – a premium sparkling cider made in the same way as champagne (750ml bottles)
• Traditional – a refined still cider which is very slightly dry (500ml bottles)
• Heritage – which is slightly bubbly and sold in cans (350 & 375ml cans).
321 Cider can be purchased online from Learmonth Cider or from Café Sidra, 321 High Street, Learmonth. All the ciders are best cold – some like cider over ice especially in summer.
Learmonth Cider: Innovations
Cider Innovations use specific apple varieties from the Spring Vale Farm orchard and from the newly planted Learmonth Research Orchard to create new, innovative ciders. Increasingly pears are also being propogated.
From the more than 20 varieties of apples, approximately 10 single varieties will be picked and processed each year. Each variety is very different in color and flavour.
They will be hand-juiced and treated with care. The quantities produced will be very small.
Community Cider: Learning, Training & Making
Have you always wanted to make your own cider, but not sure where to start? Good news! Learmonth Cider has classes that show you how you can make your own cider. You can even make a batch of your own signature brew right here at Learmonth Cider.
Individuals and organisations can bring their own apples to Learmonth Cider and learn how to produce their own cider – which they can consume or sell to raise funds for their organisations.
The Cider Making course will teach you how to choose the right apples, find your specific flavor with unique ingredients, brewing right through to bottling. The processing is strictly overseen to ensure workplace safety and quality.
Courses, including those related to cider making, will be published once the virus situation has stabilized.
Community products are purchased with training courses at the Cider Hall or at Café Sidra.
