Meet the Cider Maker Bringing Craft Beer to Spreyton
Meet Shiv Tandon, Spreyton’s new Production and Cider Manager, and the engineer quietly shaping what Tasmanian craft beverages can be. While many people recognise Spreyton for its apple cider, the Tasmanian company has grown into a diverse beverage producer creating cider, RTDs, ginger beer, juice, sparkling waters and non-alcoholic drinks, with a few new products also on the horizon.
For Shiv, the opportunity to work across such a broad beverage range made Spreyton the perfect fit.
From curious student to chemical engineer
Shiv got into beverages the way many great stories start: curiosity, chemistry, and a love of a cold pint. During his Monash University days, while living in student accommodation, he found himself as a student on a budget looking for a way to enjoy a drink without the high price tag. After watching a YouTube video on home brewing, he realised that his studies in science and chemistry could be directly applied to making beer.
Rather than taking a typical student job, Shiv decided to focus on learning the craft of brewing and developing his understanding of fermentation science.
That passion evolved into a career. Shiv became a highly qualified chemical engineer specialising in process engineering for the brewing industry. Alongside his engineering degree, he completed a Certificate III in Food Processing for Brewing and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. This also qualified him to teach brewing, which he did for two years before joining Spreyton.
Moving beyond beer into a full beverage company
How does a beer specialist end up leading production at one of Tasmania’s growing beverage companies?
The answer comes back to fermentation, flavour and innovation. The science behind beer, cider and ready-to-drink beverages overlaps more than most people realise.
Fermentation, quality control and food safety all follow similar principles, whether you’re working with malt, grain or apples.
“At the end of the day, yeast is still converting sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide,” Shiv explains.
However, working with apples brought new challenges.
“An apple is very different to malt or grain.”
That challenge pushed him to learn more about Tasmania’s unique apple varieties, many of which are grown directly on-site at Spreyton. Having access to the orchard gives Shiv something many beverage producers never experience: visibility and control over the process from orchard to bottle.
The science behind quality
As an engineer, Shiv brings a data-driven approach to beverage production.
Every batch undergoes analytical testing to monitor pH, alcohol levels, sugar content and consistency. This helps ensure customers receive the same quality and flavour profile every time they purchase a Spreyton product.
But while science drives consistency, creativity still drives innovation.
Experimentation plays a major role in developing new beverages, often involving five or six pilot-scale batches before a product is approved for production.
One of Shiv’s proudest achievements has been the development of Spreyton’s Hard Raspberry Lemonade. After identifying growing demand in the RTD market, Shiv spent months testing different raspberry sources and lemon varieties before perfecting the final recipe.
The result has quickly become one of Spreyton’s fast-moving beverages.
Challenging perceptions about cider
One of Shiv’s goals is to help change how people view apple cider.
He believes one of the biggest misconceptions is that cider is simply a sweet, fruity drink with limited appeal.
According to Shiv, properly crafted cider can be elegant, layered and highly sophisticated, ranging from dry, complex styles with a slight bitterness through to hoppy and even darker profiles made using apples that have been intentionally exposed to air.
“We have to do cider some justice and show people how elegant cider can actually be,” he says.
At the same time, he believes Spreyton’s broader beverage range allows the company to reach new audiences beyond traditional cider drinkers.
The Tasmanian advantage
For Shiv, Tasmania plays a major role in what makes Spreyton special.
The state’s clean air, natural environment and high-quality water all contribute to the final product. The spring water used at Spreyton is naturally filtered through basalt rock, creating an incredibly pure base ingredient for many of the company’s beverages.
The orchard itself is another major advantage.
Most beverage producers purchase ingredients from suppliers, but at Spreyton, Shiv can monitor the apples growing for months before they are harvested and transformed into finished products.
That level of control helps maintain quality from start to finish.
The future of Spreyton
Looking ahead, Shiv sees Spreyton evolving into a complete Tasmanian beverage destination.
While cider and RTDs remain central to the company’s identity, expansion into new beverage categories is already underway.
By Summer 2026, Spreyton plans to release a new craft beer range including:
- Spreyton Draft, a crisp pilsner
- Spreyton Black, a creamy stout with chocolate notes
- Spreyton Pale Ale, designed for hop lovers
- Spreyton Mid, a lower-alcohol option
The company is also exploring spirits including gin and vodka, while continuing to expand its sparkling water range infused with Australian botanicals such as lemon myrtle, wild lime and yuzu.
For Shiv, the goal is simple. To create beverages that surprise people with their quality and leave them wanting another sip.
His advice to aspiring brewers and beverage makers remains straightforward:
“As long as you enjoy what you do, just keep doing it and keep doing it well.”
