Cheers

Cheers - July/August 2015

Cheers is dedicated to delivering hospitality professionals the information, insights and data necessary to drive their beverage business by covering trends and innovations in operations, merchandising, service and training.

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www.cheersonline.com 31 July/August 2015 • so much growth in cider is because there was so little there to begin with," points out Phil Kuhl. A certifi ed cicerone and craft beer specialist for distributor Wirtz Beverage Wisconsin, Kuhl's accounts include Seattle Cider and Finnriver Cider. Nevertheless, there is no denying what the category has recently achieved. As more consumers purchase products that are craft, local, and/or small-batch, they are increasingly drinking cider. "If cider were a beer style, it would be the number-two, most-popular style next to IPA," Kuhl says. APPLE APPEAL Cider is a fl avorful alternative to other beverages, fans say. It has a wide range in taste, appealing to modern drinkers—especially Millennials—who crave variety. That's because worldwide, there are more than 7,500 different varieties of apples. "If you had the recommended 'apple a day', it'd take 20 years to try them all," explains David Sipes, a cider maker for the Angry Orchard brand launched in 2012 by Boston Beer Co. "Just as we've seen the palates and interests of craft-beer drinkers continue to grow in sophistication and expand over time, drinkers today are approaching hard cider in the same way," he says. Cider was among the nation's most popular alcoholic beverages in Colonial times, Sipes says, thanks to the greater prevalence of apple trees back then. But it gradually slipped from the mainstream. European immigrants brought over beer, and then Prohibition forced orchards into producing sweeter (non-cider) table apples. "Even today, bittersweet apples can be diffi cult to fi nd in the U.S.," Sipes says. Demand for hard cider has returned, and the fermented- apple beverage is positioned well for growth. "The explosion of innovation among wine, spirits and beer is driven by three key trends: consumers' search for variety in taste, the growth of upscale beverages, and the increased awareness on quality ingredients," says de Obeso. "Cider is unique in its ability to capitalize on all three of these trends." Ciders can range from light to dark, dry to fruity. They can be hoppy, like beer, or fi zzy, like wine. Anyone who already enjoys a brew, or a glass of red or white wine, will fi nd familiar fl avors in cider. What's more, ciders are usually gluten free. This places them in an ever-expanding market for such products, where some beverages cannot compete. "Unfortunately there are not a lot of gluten-free beers that are very good," says Kuhl. "It's an easy jump to cider, especially craft cider, if you develop Celiac disease and were already drinking craft beer beforehand." All this helps attract a large number of consumers across age groups and genders. "We've seen that cider appeals to both men and women, in a far more balanced way 57.8% Growth of leading cider brands from 2013 to 2014. The Angry Orchard Cider House Collection includes The Muse, inspired by sparkling wines; Iceman, reminiscent of traditional Quebec ice ciders; and Strawman, an American take on a French farmhouse cider.

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