Sunshack Cider and lazy Sunday arvos

There’s nothing wrong with a mid afternoon nap, especially in summer when a day at the beach or backyard barbeque can be positively exhausting; and particularly when alcoholic beverages are involved.

Sunshack Cider Apple for the Sunshack Cider launch at Clovelly Bowling Club, Clovelly

With the cider boom well and truly exploded in Sydney (and growing), the launch party for Sunshack Cider was going to be fun on every level: how could one complain about sipping cider, lounging about grassy knolls, a gourmet barbeque and a bit of lawn bowls?

Crowds enjoy the Sunshack Cider launch party

One doesn’t complain, especially when Sydney turns on a smokingly gorgeous day with a nice seaside breeze to cool it all down in Clovelly.

Sunshack Cider on tap for the launch party

Brewed and cold fermented in Mittagong in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Sunshack Cider started as two blokes brewing cider for their mates – who all thought it was pretty decent stuff and so said two blokes decided to take the plunge and go commercial.

Sunshack Cider is available in apple and pear varieties and is relatively dry compared to many others out there in the current market, especially some of the imported ciders. The less sweet characteristic means, for good or bad, you can drink it all day long and not get sick of cloying sweetness or indeed, a sugar high.

The Sunshack Cider shack

And so we did. At a makeshift bamboo bar replete with rattan roof and staffed by appropriately beachy boys, we downed cider by the red plastic cup full.

I initially thought I might alternate between the apple and the pear, but upon tasting the pear – with a stronger fruit flavour much more perceptible than the quite dry apple – I was a perry drinker for the rest of the day.

Apple bobbing

It wasn’t all just cider and perry through the afternoon; though that would have made for a fairly decent afternoon in itself. There was a speech or two, a deplorably daggy (intentionally satirical?) Sunshack Cider song, bobbing for apples and, given the venue, lawn bowls – by the sea, no less!

Lawn bowls

We missed the part with the proper rules and instructions of the game, but found our way onto the not lush but well manicured greens for a spot of barefoot bowls, if you could call it that.

I’m pretty sure more of my bowls ended up in next door’s ‘rink’ or in the back ditch than anywhere near the jack, but there was a decent attempt or three throughout the afternoon.

Sunshack apple cider for you; Sunshack perry for me...

I was much more successful at going to and fro, from bowling green to bar, drinking and ferrying ciders; which at 4.5% alcohol content, don’t hit straightaway but slowly turn any afternoon into a lazy one.

Fish and chips with pea mash

Thankfully the organisers had considered the eventual impact of an afternoon of cider-ing and provided a range of booze-absorbing canapés to nibble, while waiting for the main late lunch event.

Some very good battered fish with fat chips had the extra surprise of a line of pea mash - who would have thought that combination would work, but it does with lots of lemon squeezed over.

Prawn and coconut spring rolls

I had reservations about the prawn and coconut spring rolls, but these piping hot golden nuggets turned out to be surprisingly good. The firm prawns with a curried mix of coconut encased in crunchy spring roll pastry were rather inspired.

Those that missed out on canapés needn’t have worried about going hungry as later in the afternoon, the barbie was fired up by some professional help and a most delectable gourmet barbeque was to be had.

Pork belly on the barbeque

No burnt snags at this barbeque, but instead, marinated strips of pork belly on white rolls with fabulously summery salads as well as grilled skewers of vegetables and seafood.

White bread rolls

Grilled vegetable skewers

Rocket, orange, fennel, witlof salad

Potato salad

Lettuce and pear salad

Pork crackling

This is kind of a cheat's pork crackling but deliciously crunchy and naughty nonetheless. I can honestly say I took my fair share and only picked up one piece of crackling. But can you imagine that bowl and your favourite television show?

Clovelly Bowling Club

Aside from a slight breeze - which we effectively blamed for our bowls going in completely wrong directions - it was the perfect day for a barbeque and game of bowls by the sea.

Sunshack Cider: pear and apple 500ml bottles

We received some further samples of Sunshack Cider in the goodie bag for home (they'd organised a bus for guests heading back to Central station - it's all about responsible drinking, people).

The 500ml bottles are a little on the large side - at about the same alcohol content as a full strength beer, one bottle of cider constitutes 1.8 standard drinks, so be aware that something that tastes so good can still be reasonably boozy.

But lazy summer Sunday arvos and cider are just meant to be - as the Sunshack guys say, all you need is love and cider. See more photos from the launch party at my Facebook page here.

Food, booze and shoes attended the Sunshack Cider launch party as a guest of Sunshack Cider.