Weekends and Cider. They are a perfect pair, and conjure up long days with blue skies, bright sunlight and a crisp drink that has got just the right amount of refreshing taste.
Forget goji berries and single origin, Rochdale Cider is made from pure glacial water all the way from Nelson, New Zealand. The water is drawn up from underneath the family-owned McCashin Brewery. Along with apples and yeast, it’s the magic ingredient that’s like a slap of fresh mountain air in your face, without the need to road trip it all the way across the ditch.
So where can you get this nectar of the mountain gods? From manicured lawns to hipster heaven, here’s our top three spots to settle in for a summer cider session.
The Greens
50 Ridge Street, North Sydney
Sydney’s trendiest turf has to be the lawns adjacent to The Greens – the old North Bowlo clubhouse is now a sprawling eatery with the lawn bowls taking pride of place out front. Get in early on the weekend for a big table with views of the greens and the Harbour Bridge.
A game of barefoot bowls is a nice, easy way to work up an appetite and you’ll need it for the mammoth serving of crispy pork belly on a bed of glossy garden peas and radish salad that goes perfectly with an icy cold Classic Apple Rochdale cider. The cider’s crispness cuts through the richness of the pork belly, and the comforting buttery vanilla notes are a great smooth finish. For something a little lighter, try the swordfish carpaccio and the fruit-driven palate of a Rochdale Classic Pear cider.
Opera Kitchen
Sydney Opera House, 2 Macquarie Street, Sydney
Killer views are key to a long summer session and you don’t get more jaw-droppingly beautiful than the backdrop at Opera Kitchen. Tucked onto the boulevard beneath the Opera House, this eatery/bar has the best seats in the house.
A trio of sliders and a bowl of chips, with a bucket of Rochdale ciders is a trifecta. Just keep an eye out for the seagulls, which like to try their luck dive-bombing the burger buns. The chicken schnitzel, cheese and tomato slider goes down a treat with a pear cider, and the beef, cheddar and sour pickle slider is sublime with the simple sweetness of tree-ripened apples of the Classic Apple cider.
Neighbourhood Bondi
143 Curlewis Street, Bondi Beach
Ah Bondi. The suburb of so many tastes and flavours. From cult cafes to hidden hipster hotspots, it’s got a little bit of something for everyone. At Neighbourhood Bondi, you get all that choice in the one space. Dine al fresco on the street, hang out at the moody bar or venture through the old terrace house to the beer garden out the back.
Ask the bartender for the Rochdale cider cocktail – rye whiskey, peach shrub, dashes of absinthe, topped off with the balanced dryness of the Classic Pear cider, it will kick off your night on a nice, fruity tone that’s got none of the sickly sweetness of some cocktails. After all, there are no added nasties in Rochdale cider – that’s right, no added sugar or preservatives.
A trio of caramelised BBQ pork belly buns with radish and pickle is the perfect accompaniment as the pickles give the pork a real zing. Who doesn’t love an in-house made char siu bao?
This is a sponsored post courtesy of family owned brewery McCashin’s, makers of Rochdale Cider available at Dan Murphy’s and BWS. Please remember to drink responsibly.
