• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • About Craft Brewing Business

Craft Brewing Business

Professional Insight, Unfiltered

Craft Brewing Business Craft Brewing Business
  • News
  • Business & Marketing
  • Packaging & Distribution
  • Equipment & Systems
  • Ingredients & Supplies
  • Webinars & White Papers
  • News
  • Business & Marketing
  • Ingredients & Supplies
  • Packaging & Distribution
  • Equipment
  • Webinars & White Papers
  • COVID-19

Cider trend going strong, will it cut into craft beer?

May 17, 2013Chris Crowell

Ciders and craft beer
The tidal wave of ciders is only just beginning it seems. Will this growing category hurt or help the craft beer industry?

So, let’s talk ciders: Friend, foe or fad? Or some other F word? Whatever your thoughts on the sweet, non-beers, the category is definitely growing and gaining more favor within the Big Beer ranks, which will mean more marketing muscle behind the category and more tied up shelf space.  Anheuser-Busch InBev releasing Stella Artois Cidre, C&C Group acquired Vermont Hard Cider, MillerCoors bought Crispin, and Heineken added Strongbow, just to name a few recent moves.

A recent article on Bloomberg Businessweek title “Why AB InBev and Big Brewers Are Betting on Hard Cider” noted that the $601.5 million in hard cider sales in 2012 was about 2 percent of total revenue, but the trendline is point up as sales have increased an average of 27.5 percent annually for the last five years. The rise in favor is similar to the rise of craft beer, and the sources in the Bloomberg piece are tying these categories together in many ways.

From the article:

Charles van Es, senior director of portfolio brands at Heineken USA, says the company’s cider buyers are largely 21- to 29-year-olds who are ‘adventurous with their beverage selection and drink more craft and upscale beer.’ The craft beer boom has stirred up curiosity about life beyond Bud.

The article cites three specific groups pushing this increase: the young craft beer crowd, women and consumers avoiding gluten.

The perception that cider is healthier should not be underestimated. Says Agata Kaczanowska, an analyst at IBISWorld: “At the core of the movement toward hard cider is the health consciousness of Americans. It is fruit-based, so people associate it with a more positive nutritional value.” The gluten-free food movement has given cider a boost, too, because the beverage is naturally gluten free. NPD found that 30 percent of adults claimed to cut down on or avoid gluten completely in January.

Be sure to head to Bloomberg Businessweek for more on ciders – a trend that doesn’t seem to be letting up any time soon.

So, what say you? Will this growing interest in ciders help craft beer by moving more segments of the population to try new things, or will it be a detriment by stealing shelf space and market share? Or will it make no difference? Will you jump in and try your hand in ciders? Or another fifth possibility that will blow our minds? Sound off in the comments below.

Need a new sign? Stop by the Zeon booth: CBC Preview
Boulevard_Brewing_Logo
Boulevard Brewing renames staple brand, gives portion of sales to charity
Harpoon_IPA
Harpoon Brewery marketing campaign calls for IPA Stories
Long Trail Brewing Co-001
Long Trail Brewing collaborates on hop-infused chocolate bar

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. JoshE says

    June 14, 2013 at 1:05 pm

    I don’t think that it’ll bite too hard into craft beer. Why? Well, for a start craft beer is starting to produce it’s own cider. Harpoon has two whilst Austin’s Rogness is releasing their own line this summer. (http://cwhighlights.com/craft-beer-seasonal-beer-decline-in-sales/#axzz2VpRyzAaW)

    Also when people realize that Crispins is actually macro owned, they’ll start drinking less of it.

    Log in to Reply
  2. DenverBeerGuy says

    May 17, 2013 at 1:50 pm

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Cider trend going strong, will it cut into craft beer?: What say you: Friend, foe or fad? http://t.co/xlZDeOLx55

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Latest News

  • NBWA releases January Beer Purchasers’ Index, craft demand sinks low
  • Watch a drone release insects over hop yards for sustainable pest control in this Yakima Chief Hops video series
  • BarTrack scales nationwide presence to over 40 states, announces big Series A investments
  • Distro update: Connecticut’s Two Roads Brewing goes to Colorado + news from Surreal, New Sarum and more

Sign up for our newsletter

unsubscribe from list

Most Popular Today

Recent Features

  • Watch a drone release insects over hop yards for sustainable pest control in this Yakima Chief Hops video series
    January 30, 2023
  • Distro update: Connecticut’s Two Roads Brewing goes to Colorado + news from Surreal, New Sarum and more
    January 30, 2023
  • Cadaverine: When your beer smells like dead human
    January 26, 2023
  • beer taps brain distribution cbb cropUnfiltered: There are weevils in my grain – what do I do?
    January 26, 2023
  • People news: Industry icon John Mallett steps down from Bell’s + moves from Craft ‘Ohana, BrewDog USA and more
    January 25, 2023
  • Premium beer products were one of the top growth markets of 2022, says IWSR 
    January 23, 2023

Footer

  • Email Newsletter Sign Up
  • About Craft Brewing Business
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise on Craft Brewing Business
  • Media Kit Download
  • Privacy and Terms

© 2023 · CBB Media LLC