Three Wise Birds: A new cider for the 21st century

Founders of Three Wise Birds Charley and Jack Crasborn.

The Crasborn family name has been synonymous with orchards for over four decades so it's no surprise that Charley and Jack Crasborn, sons of Eddie and Andrea, have also created a company using the apples they grew up around.

Thomson Road, Havelock North is currently the base for Three Wise Birds, a boutique cider-making enterprise that effectively recycles apples unfit for export. The apples grown by the Crasborn family are hand-picked but small blemishes mean that they can't make the export market standards.

Recently there has been a move away from bottles to packaging much of the cider in cans.

With so many surplus apples the entrepreneurial brothers set about finding a way of using them and several years ago teamed up with award-winning cider maker Ian Thompson. In the process they created a new style of cider perfectly suited to Hawke's Bay and wider New Zealand.

Ian won the World's Best Cider award in 1995 so was the perfect coach and mentor for Jack, the head cider maker. The whole purpose was to use local Hawke's Bay apples that grow well here, such as Granny Smiths, Braeburn, Pink Lady and Kanzi. They are popular apples that are more tart than sweet.

The Three Wise Birds brand is a public acknowledgement of the three Crasborn brothers, Eddie, Lou and Rick who founded the orchard business and have been an ongoing inspiration to the two brothers.

Their corporate identity steers well clear of images of apples and instead takes a fresh approach to marketing their Hawke's Bay cider using designs and packaging to attract a broader and younger market. Recently there has been a move to packaging much of the cider in cans in preference to bottles which opens up other marketing options.

With high quality apples and Ian's expertise the whole process was plain sailing since the outset, Jack says. The process was initially overseen by Ian who has stepped back and is now an advisor for Jack. In 2013, the first year of operation production was 12,000 litres which had risen to 80,000 litres this year.

Charley concentrates on sales, marketing and branding while George Mackie, an old school friend, is the salesperson who covers the central North Island. There are also Three Wise Birds sales agents in Auckland and Wellington. Retail outlets now number 150, mainly in the North Island. Soon the brothers will be looking to expand further into the South Island and also offshore.

The range available in cans include Bach Life, Gone Bush and Summer Fling. The accent is very much on summer lifestyles with Kiwis enjoying the outdoor life accompanied by Hawkes' Bay cider. When Jack and Charley were younger they enjoyed wine and beer but they considered the cider that was then available too sweet.

That's all changed with a new, refreshingly dry style designed to appeal to a broad range of Kiwis. Mum Andrea has the benefit of being unofficial taster. Cans are lighter, they chill faster, are far more versatile, and they're transportable making them perfect to enjoy over long, hot summers. They're also much easier to recycle, Jack says.

Moulin Rouge is more of a sip and savour at 11 per cent alcohol by volume. It's presented in a glass bottle and is crafted using the Kanzi apple. The Acoustic Collection at 8.7 per cent is a blend of apples - Granny Smith, Braeburn, Gala, Fuji and Pink Lady. Finally, at the top of the range and beautifully presented is Scenic Reserve which is crafted using Braeburn apples and is created in the Methode Traditionnelle style.

The company has received several awards including the Fruit Wine and Cider Makers NZ 2016 Bronze Award for Bach Life and Gone Bush, the Gold Award from the Brewers Guild of New Zealand for Moulin Rouge and a bronze for Bach Life in 2016 and finally a bronze in the New World Beer and Cider Awards for the Acoustic Collection this year.

The next step is to open a cellar door and bar early next year at a new site set alongside an orchard which will be the perfect setting to sample a glass of local cider.