Cider is becoming the Apple of Consumers’ Eyes
Nov. 12, 2015
Cider is hitting a lot of sweet spots right now: It’s an artisan product that is produced farm-to-table and contains a true sense of terroir. This new flood of craft ciders have found traction with both beer and wine drinkers, locavores, trendy hipsters, sustainability-conscious millennials and those looking for gluten-free options. It is safe to say that cider is quickly becoming one of the market’s most impactful categories, making what was once a seasonal-only beverage a year-round consumer choice.
Cider Isn’t Something New
While it may appear that cider has magically dropped from the sky like Sir Isaac Newton’s famed apple, the fact is that Americans have been making cider ever since the first European colonists settled the continent. Cider was the drink of choice for many of America’s first immigrants, as it was easier and quicker to ferment apples for cider than it was to plant, grow and harvest barley for beer.
Cider was the mainstay in America’s drinking culture, embraced by peasants and presidents alike, until German immigrants created crisp and clean pilsners. Suddenly cider was seen as the lesser beverage.
That attitude lasted for decades until a new batch of ciders were made using true cider apples instead of the sweet dessert apples used in the past – including Empire, Red Delicious and McIntosh. Cider apples actually contain more sugars than dessert apples, but because they have less water content than the dessert apples, they are seen as sharp, acidic and full of tannins. This makes them great for fermenting, but bad for eating.
There are four main types of cider apples according to Long Ashton Research Station in the U.K., which categorized them according to sugar levels. Sweets are low in tannins and acidity, sharps are high in acid and low in tannins, bittersweets are low in acid and high in tanning and bitter sharps are high in acid and tannin. Acidity can add bite, while tannins can add astringency and bitterness as well as structure.
Today there is a growing demand for these types of apples from cider makers across the U.S. and as a result, farmers from the U.S., U.K. and Spain are increasing not just the amount of apples they are growing, but the varieties as well.
Copying Beer's Blueprint
The recent surge of the craft beer category has created a blueprint for cider makers here in the U.S. Craft ciders focus on ingredients, flavor, technique and innovation to set themselves apart from their fermented fruit brethren: wine. In fact, while wine and cider are fermented from crushed fruit, and the government taxes both accordingly, cider has been identified by consumers as something more akin to beer – and innovations by cider makers might be a big reason for that.
Cider brands both large and small have distinguished themselves in the market by fermenting with unique yeast strains, barrel-aging their cider and adding delicate spices like juniper berries, ginger and seasonal fruits. Many cider makers have also dabbled with hops, the bitter flower that makes beer geeks go gaga for IPAs. These dry, hoppy beverages are the ideal gateway cider for the craft beer drinker looking to try something new. It also doesn’t hurt that cider makers are taking a page from beer and canning their ciders as well. Cider is very much in the beginning of where the craft-brewing industry was 20 years ago.
Wine Industry Is Taking Notice
In a July 2015 article in The Drinks Business, beverage analysts for Rabobank reported that the wine industry had been urged to “assess the threat” posed by the recent growth of the cider category in global markets. Many in the wine industry are growing justifiably concerned with cider’s rapid growth, especially with younger, more affluent consumers.
“Cider might be consumed more like beer, but the wine industry needs to come to terms with the fact that cider is not solely a threat to the beer category,” said Rabobank beverage analyst Marc Soccio in his interview with The Drinks Business, referring to the possible impact cider could make on wine sales. “The impact might still be at the margin, but wine companies need to seriously consider what might lead their current and future consumers astray.”
Ciders Rise By the Numbers
Cider sales rose 75.4% between November 2013 and November 2014, to roughly $400 million, according to IRI Worldwide. Sales of cider by the case have tripled since 2012, rising from 2.3 million cases to 7.8 million in 2014. Cider production tripled between 2011 and 2013, making it the fastest-growing segment of the beer and malt beverage market, even though it still only accounts for 1% of the overall market share, meaning it has incredible potential for future growth. In a report published last month by Canadean, the U.S. cider market – the third largest in the world – is predicted to grow at an average annual rate of 12% between 2015 and 2020, compared to an average global growth rate of just 5%.
Capitalize On Cider’s Growth
Want to get your slice of this apple pie. Here are four points to highlight when selling cider to your customers.
“The recent demand for drier ciders has shifted the market to a more sophisticated cider,” says Master Cicerone® and Breakthru Beverage Craft Beer Manager Dave Kahle. Dry ciders are now being produced from brands large and small. There are even some ciders with zero brix (a sugar content measurement) like Seattle Cider Company’s Dry Hard Cider. According to Kahle, these dry and semi-sweet ciders are ideal for food pairings.
- Variety of Flavor Profiles
As mentioned earlier, cider makers are taking their creativity to new heights using everything from bitter hops and spicy peppers to charred oak barrels and fresh citrus to add depth, complexity and variety to their ciders. This wide selection gives retail accounts and bar mangers a huge canvas of ciders to choose from when building a bottle list or shelf selection.
- Cider Season is Now Year-Round
“Cider is not just to be enjoyed on a hayride any longer,” said Kahle. With ciders available in the market that are sweet, spicy, funky, sour or smoky, consumers are now enjoying the beverage year-round.
One health-savvy benefit of cider is that it’s naturally gluten-free, an attractive feature for those who observe a gluten-conscious lifestyle due to health purposes.
Contact your Brekathru Beverage Sales Consultant to explore our entire cider portfolio, and let us help you find just the right ones for your customers.