The 2026 Sydney Royal Beer and Cider Show award winners, including Batlow’s The Apple Thief and Wagga Wagga’s Thirsty Crow, which both claimed champion titles. Photo: Royal Agricultural Society of NSW.
Batlow cider maker The Apple Thief and Wagga Wagga brewery Thirsty Crow have won champion titles at the 2026 Sydney Royal Beer and Cider Show.
The Apple Thief’s 2025 Kingston Black was named Champion Cider, while Thirsty Crow’s Brother Corvus took out Champion Amber or Dark Ale at the awards announced on 17 September.
Apple Thief founder Dave Purcell said the win rewarded the work behind the cider and reinforced how well the traditional Kingston Black apple performed in Batlow.
He credited orchard manager Glen Ifield with producing clean, high-quality fruit during a good growing season, and cider maker Campbell Meeks with developing its character through barrel ageing.
Kingston Black is one of 11 cider apple varieties grown on the property.
Dave said it was a standout, producing a complex cider with caramel tones that customers had gravitated towards.
Made exclusively from Kingston Black apples, the winning cider showcases the variety’s balance of bitterness, acidity and fruit character.
For Campbell, that made the champion title particularly satisfying.
“It allows the apple’s distinctive character to speak for itself,” he said.
He too was full of praise for Glen Ifield.
“Glen has done an exceptional job in the orchard, and this award is also recognition of the quality of fruit his work has helped us produce.”
The variety has earned The Apple Thief national recognition before.
An earlier vintage won the inaugural David Pickering Memorial Trophy for Best Single Varietal Cider at the 2024 Australian Cider Awards.
Last year, its Kingston Black Traditional Cider received silver at Sydney Royal.
“We’ve made a name for ourselves with it,” Dave said.
The trees were planted by the property’s former owners, Ralph and Judy Wilson, who made small batches of blended cider.
The champion title builds on 14 years of cider making for The Apple Thief, which has developed its range around individual apple and pear varieties, including Pink Lady, Granny Smith and William Pear.
More trees have now been grafted over to Kingston Black, with plans to make it a regular part of the range.
The champion trophy was part of a seven-medal haul for The Apple Thief. Its 2024 Ice Cider and Apple and Lemon Myrtle won silver, while Pink Lady, Braeburn Gala Cloudy, Red Moon Rosé and its Ginger Beer received bronze.
Dave said congratulatory messages had also recognised what the award meant for Batlow.
“And that’s what the town needs, isn’t it?” he said.
In Wagga, first-time entrant Thirsty Crow won Champion Amber or Dark Ale with Brother Corvus, adding a Sydney Royal trophy to its record of brewing awards.
The Belgian-style dark strong ale pours copper in colour, with flavours the brewery describes as caramel, fig and plum, followed by a spiced warmth.
At 9.1 per cent alcohol, it is among the stronger beers on Thirsty Crow’s tap list.
Thirsty Crow’s Sporting Ale won Best European Ale at the 2015 Australian International Beer Awards, while its Vanilla Milk Stout has also earned gold medals at the competition.
The two producers claimed their champion titles in a field of 228 entries. Gold medals were awarded to 21 per cent of entries, while 84 per cent received gold, silver or bronze.
Entries underwent blind judging, with industry experts assessing appearance, aroma, flavour, technical merit and how well each drink represented its style.
Producers also received professional feedback to help refine their products.
“The quality and drinkability of this year’s exhibits were incredibly high, and that is reflected in the medal tally we have seen this year,” chair of judges Richard Adamson said.
“Another noticeable trend this year was the strength and diversity of NSW brewers,” he said. “We have champion winners from Armidale, Port Macquarie, Bathurst and Wagga Wagga.”
Bathurst’s Reckless Brewing Co won the overall Best Beer or Cider of Show award for its stout.
