Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/818616
may 2017 / the tasting panel / 63 TNS Product Concept Test 2016 Nielsen Scan Track, L52 WE 12/03/16, FDCM+ In the quest for the healthier drink, taste is the Holy Grail, and that helps explain why consumers have made hard ciders hot, hot, hot since 2012. Like beer, the trend within the cider category is moving rapidly toward pre- mium craft brands and away from big brands with a more industrial production image. According to a July 2016 Wine & Craft Beverage News article, "Hard cider is the fastest growing segment of the craft beverage market." Top-quality brands like Strongbow Hard Apple Ciders understand the craft consumer mentality. Craft consum- ers put a high value on natural ingredients and their origins, production integrity and the story behind the brand. Cider drinkers, the article states, are also especially adventurous when it comes to trying new flavors. Strongbow certainly has a great backstory. Although it is relatively new to the U.S. market, Strongbow's resumé includes 125 years of heritage as an English cider company. Strongbow's production process emphasizes natural ingredients, beginning with careful tending of the company's orchards. It cultivates one million bittersweet apple trees that produce more than a billion apples. The apples are transformed into cider at either the Hereford, England, or Aubel, Belgium, mills, where the extraction procedure focuses on conserving the apples' natural flavors. There's no need for artificial flavors or colors. Additionally, after the juice is fermented, it's allowed to mature similarly to wine. Just as red wine will mellow if left in contact with grape skins following fermentation, extended maturation of the fermented apple juice bal- ances acidity with sweetness and allows smoother flavors to develop. The company's dedication to preserving natural flavors is a winning recipe. All of Strongbow's portfolio of cider flavors have been awarded Gold or Silver medals at the World Cider Championships, and its Gold Apple flavor was recognized as the Championship's Best Tasting Hard Cider in the Common Cider category for two consecutive years. Strongbow's exciting new flavor release, Orange Blossom, will be joining the 2017 World Cider Championship competition and the company has great expectations for it. "Strongbow Orange Blossom, a fresh remix of natural flavors, has received consistently high taste test ratings," says Strongbow Senior Director, Jessica Robinson. "Overall flavor trends are on our side," she adds, "orange is a top three flavor driving flavor growth in flavored spirits." The best news for the calorie- conscious is that Orange Blossom Hard Apple Cider only has 81 calories. Many savvy beverage buyers have taken note of the growing popularity of cider and have started adding hard ciders to their tap selections. Darren O'Connor, bartender at Manhattan's Chelsea Bell Bar and Grill—has five cider selections on tap, including Strongbow—tells us, "Strongbow is our most popular cider brand." Beer drinkers know the calories-for-flavor trade-off all too well—especially imported beer fans. Good news for those folks has just been released by Heineken USA: 99-calorie Heineken Light is now offering a more com- plex flavor profile. Imported beer consumers will cheer Heineken Light's switch to American-grown Cascade hops, the variety traditionally used in full-bodied IPAs. This month the company is also rolling out Amstel Xlight in Arizona, Texas and Boston. With only 90 calories and two grams of carbohydrates, no doubt other markets will soon be clamoring for this light beer with the premium imported beer taste. w The best news for the calorie-conscious is that Orange Blossom Hard Apple Cider only has 81 calories.