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Bionade, the trendy German soft drink that has achieved cult status in its homeland, has arrived in Australia. The all-organic drink is being imported by Queensland food and beverage distributor Jolly Products, and introduced at a succession of food shows around the country between now and October.

Lightly carbonated Bionade was developed by master brewer Dieter Leipold in 1995, in a bid to restore the fortunes of the family-owned Peter Brewery in Ostheim, Bavaria. However, it is only over the last four or five years that the brand has really taken off.

The drink is produced through a patented non-alcoholic fermentation process, using Bavarian-grown organic barley as its base ingredient. The company has also established organic plantations of elder trees – the first time elderberries have been cultivated as a crop in the region – to create one of Bionade’s signature flavours.

As well as Elderberry, “delicately tart and fruity” Bionade is offered in three other organic flavours: Lychee, Herb and Ginger-Orange. The drinks are packed in simply stylish 330ml glass and 500ml PET bottles. Sales were set to top 250 million bottles in 2007.

Bionade initially established niche markets among most of Germany’s West European neighbours, and was launched in the UK and US late last year. Now Jolly Products Managing Director Dieter Wittmann believes the drink will be equally successful in Australia.

“Bionade is a hip drink in Europe because of its great taste and health qualities,” said Wittmann. “It started out as a completely idealistic product, but it ticks so many boxes that it has achieved everything the company hoped for, and more.”