Cider has been around for a very long time (in both hard and soft varieties). Hard cider was one of the staple beverages of Colonial America, and was enjoyed more widely than beer or liquor in its time. However, cider sales eventually dropped and it was replaced by beer in most US markets, at least until recently. However, the love for alcoholic apple juice never left Britain, and the nation is actually the largest consumer of cider in the world. Now, Stella Artois is about to tap into the market.
The company announced their new Stella Artois Cidre not long ago, and it will debut at the end of April for UK and European consumers. That’s a smart move for the company, as cider sales grew almost 50% in the last five years. Of course, Stella Artois (a subset of Anheuser Busch InBev) is not the only company making cider in town. You’ll find that Heineken also has their hand in the market. They own Strongbow, which is expected to go global this year.