AUSTRALIANS are going mad as hatters for cider with the fruit-based fizz predicted to trump alcopops when it comes to Australians’ drinking habits.

Driven by increased taxes on alcopops and pre-mixed spirit drinks, cider has in recent years enjoyed a spike in popularity and, according to recent Roy Morgan research, cider looks set to be top dog in a matter of months.

In the year to March, 2010, 2.4 million Australians reported drinking pre-mixed spirits and only 596,000 identified as cider drinkers.

But now the tables have turned — in the year to March, 2014, the number of cider drinkers had risen to 2.09 million and is just 100,000 behind the reported number of pre-mixed spirit fans.

“A major factor in the trend has almost certainly been the higher taxes on pre-mixed drinks, as well as a steadily increasing range of cider brands on the market,” Roy Morgan group account director Angela Smith said.

A new brew to the cider market is locally-produced Sidewood Estate which last week claimed the Champion South Australian exhibit class at the Royal Adelaide Beer Awards.

The Adelaide Hills product is yet to be widely rolled out and until October will only available in a handful of city bars.

However, attendees at Saturday’s Feast in Wonderland supper dance party at Wonderland Ballroom in Hawthorn will be among the first in the state to sample the top drop.

The Feast Festival runs from November 15-30, for more details on Saturday’s event head to feast.org.au

Originally published as Along came a cider and bumped off the alcopops