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In the drink With Paul Antrobus
BY PAUL ANTROBUS
GETTING FRUITY Try a different sort of cider a try this summer.
O
n warm August days with picnics and BBQs, cider always get a preference over traditional ales. There are many fine English ciders from the West Country, of course, and also up on the east coast – but what about having a Swedish fruit cider? According to the International Research Institute, as reported in the Morning Advertiser drinks trade newspaper, fruit ciders have grown sales by 73 per cent for the year to May 2021, led by Swedish cider brewery Kopparberg (Kopparberg is a town in mid-Sweden). This brewer is reported to have seen: “huge levels of growth during the last three months, outperforming Rekorderlig (a rival Swedish fruit cider range), Old Moat and Bulmers combined.” There is a vast range on the shelves of all the mainstream supermarkets, offering half a dozen brands with maybe a dozen different fruits each, all reasonably priced – under £1.70 for a 500ml bottle on multi-buy - at a modest four per cent abv. A far cry from the West Country ciders typically thought of as six or seven per cent. My local Morrisons has half a
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dozen fruit variations stacked alongside Rekorderlig with a similar range of flavours. All the varieties are based on ‘cider’ made from apples or pears (which we might refer to as ‘perry’). These Swedish ones feature local pure spring water and are all gluten free and vegan friendly. They add fruits such as strawberry, raspberry, mango, cherry, passion fruit and mixed wild berries. It seems English consumers have taken to these brews, accelerated, the Institute says, by pub lockdown, off-trade shopping and drinking at home, which has seen people sampling a much wider range of drinks than would ever be on a pub menu. But it may be the fruit element that is attracting customers, and it is definitely a big trend this summer.
Introducing Rekorderig
During a distanced, open-air social drink in the hot days of June, a friend introduced me to Rekorderig Pink Lemon, newly launched in the UK in April, adding to established flavours like strawberry and lime and mango with raspberry, all found in Morrisons and Tesco and others. Rekorderlig Pink Lemon (like pink
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grapefruit) includes some added raspberries as well, creating a sharp citrusy and medium fizzy sensation on the tongue. It is a very distinctive flavour which takes a couple of sips to get used to and appreciate, but it is very refreshing and suited to outdoor summer days. It is best served cold over ice with a squeeze of lemon and a handful of extra raspberries for a beautifully refreshing summer drink. Originally a family company, Rekorderlig is now owned by the Molson Coors Beverage Company. Phil Pick, marketing controller for cider, said: “Rekorderlig has successfully launched a host of premium ciders in the UK market, with a range of unique flavour innovations - and its new Pink Lemon Cider is no exception, tapping into the growing demand for more premium options and exciting flavour variations.” I tested it against the Kopparberg Raspberry. A clear and clean flavour and an otherwise very similar product specification. With so many like-for-likes on the shelves, I guess you just have to go for which flavour you prefer.
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