Skip to main content

By Simone Mundy

940877_10153754880824534_3765796278250098927_nImage credit: Kelly Champion

No doubt about it, Cate Lister is a pocket rocket. It’s amazing how much energy and personality fits into her small frame. She’s one of those Inspirational Adeladies who has an idea and goes for it. After all, what is life if you’re too afraid to chase your dreams and take risks? Cate is such a pleasure to spend time with; she surrounds herself with creative people and exudes a positivity and enthusiasm that is contagious!

10449939_10153754882094534_8488973402845233404_n

Cate met her brewing partner Turon while working at a cellardoor, a popular place to find winemakers during the off-season. As different as they are in looks, Turon is tall and dark while Cate is petite and fair, both winemakers, discovered they had some shared imaginings. Both of them wanted make ginger beer and their enthusiasm and experimentation would plant the seeds of cider royalty – Micro Cider Co.

63897_10153754880929534_2198060128833836007_nImage credit: Get Shot Photography

944689_10153754880494534_3456198571524951303_nImage credit: Kelly Champion

At the heart of Micro Cider Co is its beautiful apple orchard in Lenswood that has twelve different varieties of apples and a couple of pears – perfect for cider creators. It’s also Cate’s favourite place in summer with the rolling hills and dams which she describes as a “view to heaven that gives incredible calm in a fast paced life”.

11046643_10153754882709534_3810205156985591551_nImage credit: Get Shot Photography

Cate loves living in the Adelaide Hills and finds herself spoiled for choice with small producers of everything imaginable. There’s this sense you get that the growers in the Adelaide Hills have a connection to the land that can be tasted and felt.

She spends her spare time with her two retired racehorses, her daughter and trained chef son in law- who shares her love of great food made from great produce.

12376803_10153754882114534_4539060496970718263_nImage credit: Get Shot Photography

Cate has always been fascinated by the complimentary flavour combinations found in food and wine. Even as a child Cate would irritate her mother by taste testing her food before dinner parties, a curiosity now put into practice to produce different ciders each vintage. Both Cate and Turon work intuitively with a sensory approach, using handpicked fruit from the orchard with Australian grown ginger, tweaking the process until they reach the perfect balance of flavours.

With a nod to traditional Normandy techniques, the batches are double fermented. This process of leaving the residual yeast in for the second ferment creates a cloudy cider that has a depth of flavour similar to that of a fine wine.

The use of champagne yeast and the double ferment results in a refreshing and dry cider unlike many of the overly sweet ciders flooding the bottle shop shelves. I personally love Micro Cider Co  Apple, Pear and Ginger cider because of its difference to other ciders on the market, and for my fellow foodies – it’s a perfect partner for Asian flavours!

Local people, local produce, local passion – an Inspirational Adelady sharing her dream. Taste the fruits of Cate Lister’s labour and you’ll be sure to agree. Here are her fave places in Adelaide:

Simone  x

11849887_500593313436868_108086630_nImage credit: Get Shot Photography

FAVE PLACE FOR CIDER + WINE

Apothecary on Hindley Street and Stirling Cellars, and amongst the apple and pear trees in our orchard in Lenswood of course!

12357711_529932090521654_600532631_nImage credit: Get Shot Photography

FAVE MUNCHIES JOINT

Patch Kitchen and Garden, Stirling. They use great seasonal fresh produce from their garden, where you find their chef foraging and children playing.

11205002_356348394560846_6151436581028246611_nImage credit: Patch Kitchen and Garden

FAVE HIDDEN GEMS

Too Many — when people visit I tell them get out and explore! Walk the Talk in Verdun, Red Cacao Chocolatier and Woodside Cheesewrights Cheese Shop

10377158_863003840413980_323986294023588017_nImage credit: Woodside Cheese Wrights

FAVE PLACE TO SHARE WITH VISITORS OF SA

Our world class restaurants – Press* Food and Wine, Africola and Restaurant Orana.

12193275_823360527784060_6762838524829336876_nImage credit: Press* Food & Wine

FAVE FOODS TO GO WITH MICRO CIDER?

Duck rillettes, Manchego Cheese, Pork Belly with apple cider and ginger glaze with crackling! Now I’m hungry!

11909383_1630014780602136_771909361_nImage credit: @microciderco

FAVE PLACE THAT’S FULL OF CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

Sellicks Beach – being by the sea is quite relaxing, even for me!

Maslins-beachImage credit: slack1.host22.com/html/photography/bob_caddell1.html

To follow this delightful lady and for more on the delicious Micro Cider Co follow them on social:

:: FACEBOOK     :: WEBSITE     :: INSTAGRAM

While you’re here, check out some of our other super talented Inspirational Adeladies.

:: Sponsored — part of our “Ladies who drink from the bottle” series ::

Hayley Pearson

Hayley Pearson

Co-Creator and Writer for Adelady, she still gets goosebumps that she’s combined her creative passion with sharing the best of her stunning home state.

Leave a Reply