While beer sales in Australia are dropping, the cider market continues to grow.

Participants at Sunday’s workshop at Borenore had the chance to see how using different types of apples can be tweaked to diversify the taste of cider.

Small Acres Cyder owner James Kendell said interest in the workshop, on the back of the last statistics, showed the popularity of cider continued to grow.

“All our cider-making classes yesterday were completely full, there’s so much interest,” he said.

Mr Kendell said Orange-produced cider from the business  would have a higher profile with the production of a 330ml bottle.

“We identified this was a gap in the market and we have really targeted it for pubs and even motels for mini bars,” he said.

Mr Kendall said the product expansion was a move away from wine drinkers in restaurants, who were trying and drinking the cider already produced from Small Acres.

“And we are taking up some of the beer drinkers,” he said.

Mr Kendell said he had been pounding the pavement to introduce hotels and motels to the new product, with the personal introduction a strategy which seems to be working.

“We couldn’t be more happy with the way things are continuing to progress with the sale of cider still growing in this country,” he said.

janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au