Thirst growing for craft hard ciders, an alternative to beer and wine(1)
In the not-too-distant past, hard cider drinkers in this country might have been reluctant to say they enjoyed a sip. But thanks to the craft brew movement, those times are changing.
A limited amount of hard cider was available in this country a decade ago. It was mass produced, overly sweet and quickly dismissed as a “girlie” drink. Now small-batch makers are creating bolder or more nuanced ciders, and they’re earning respect from even hard-core beer drinkers, male and female.
People such as Tiffany Rush of Charleston are helping fuel the sales growth of alcoholic apple and pear ciders. Category sales rose 25 percent in the year ending Oct. 30 to nearly $50 million, as reported last fall in Advertising Age.
Rush, a 33-year-old chemistry instructor at the College of Charleston, favors darker brews such as stouts and porters when she’s in the mood for beer. But she’s also developed a taste for hard cider.
Her palate was introduced after a trip to Ireland about five years ago. Cider is much more common in European countries.
“There’s less of a social stigma,” Rush explains. While cider has been considered a fruity drink in the U.S., “not over there,” she says. “They tend to do drier, more robust but less sweet.”
