FERMENTING APPLES

FERMENTED a pp les

When it comes to golden drinks, beer is the first beverage that

springs to mind. But there is another which is growing in popularity

every year. FIONA MCDONALD reports.

T OPS Buy!

1

Having hit the market in April this year, Hunter’s Edge already has a host of keen followers.

Apples ... a lot of importance has been placed on them over the years. Eve tempted Adam with one in the Garden of Eden, Isaac Newton getting whacked on the head while resting beneath a tree led to the scientific exploration of gravity while Switzerland apparently staved off Austrian occupation in the Middle Ages due to William Tell’s ability in shooting an apple off his son’s head with a bow and arrow! And then there was Steve Jobs who gave us Apple technology.

But the fruit itself is delicious – in both its raw or whole form and when it has been pressed and fermented to make cider. In the United Kingdom, a pub without a cider or two on tap isn’t worth visiting – but it says something about the popularity of cider. According to 2016 figures quoted by the head of Distell, South Africa’s liquor giant and the second-largest cider producer in the world, the global market for cider is 2 177 million litres. Of that total, the United Kingdom is the single largest consumer, happily glugging down 981 million litres while South Africa consumes a more modest 299 million litres. In South Africa, that’s the equivalent of nearly 100 Olympic swimming pools versus Old Blighty’s 326 pool’s’ worth! Around a third of Distell’s annual multibillion rand revenue is generated by the cider and RTD (Ready to Drink) category.

Globally, the market is dominated by large commercial brands – and in South Africa those brands are Hunter’s and Savanna. Growth in cider consumption is more rapid than any other category within the liquor market currently. Financial analyst Siphamandla Shezi reported in 2015 that growth in cider sales over the past 10 years “has outpaced all other major categories of alcoholic beverages by an average 5 – 6% per annum”.

As a result, he said, “the category’s share of the market has doubled in the past five years”. Reasons for the popularity were attributed to the growth of the black middle class “a group that has shown strong affinity to aspirational brands”, along with the fact that it appeals to women drinkers, it’s seen as a health conscious alternative to

International market research showed that consumers

are looking for more variety.

beer and that the fresh, fruity taste finds favour with younger drinkers.

And – much like the explosion of the craft beer scene over the past decade – all indications are that craft cider will mimic this trend. It’s already happening in the United States where geeky hipsters and millennials are all about the apples ... real apples, different apples, dry styles, sparkling ciders and now flavoured ciders with lemon and berries being introduced into the taste mix.

But the ‘big boys’ are already doing exactly that. Distell appreciates that its market is not going to stay in love with its brands forever –

See pg 30 for our Tasting Notes

2

Savanna now has a piratical, rum-soaked stablemate in the newly launched Blackbeard.

so they have consciously extended the brands to allow consumers more choice within the ranges. Hunter’s was the pioneer having begun in 1988 and remains the market leader. The original Hunter’s Gold “a premium, pure and thirst-quenching natural cider” as its website states, was one of the first mass-market alternatives to beer available and has since been joined by Hunter’s Dry in the distinctive green bottle which has been supported by evocative and cleverly tactical ad campaigns. The most recent addition to the range was Hunter’s Edge which breaks the mould – because, strictly speaking, it’s not a straight cider. As the MD of Distell in Southern Africa, Willem Buhrmann stated in the 2017 annual report: “Edge, endorsed by Hunter’s, was launched in April 2017 as an innovative new drink that combines refreshing natural cider with real hops extract.” So a kinda cider with a beery-type twist in the tail ... which also means that it’s not really an AFB – or alcoholic fruit beverage either!

“Hunter’s Edge is for every social occasion that brings together what unites us – for those who like to explore the new and unconventional and who are bold, individual, and confident to choose both the crisp refreshment of cider and the easy drinking taste of hops,” said Maijaliina Hansen, global marketing manager.

Savanna is a massive success story – and this year it came of age, having turned 21! Everyone knows the product tag line: “It’s dry ... but you can drink it.” The marketing triumphs and achievements of the product are as much about its fun advertising as it has been about the dry, crisp apple taste of what’s in the bottle. And adding a wedge of lemon to the bottle neck was another marketing stroke of genius way back in 1996. Range extensions on Savanna have included a Light version which contains less alcohol – introduced in 2000 – and by way of contrast Savanna Dark which hit the shelves in 2013. To quote the website marketing material: “The bold cider smacks of the same refreshing, crisp apple flavours, but offers a unique malty finish and is a firm favourite amongst those who appreciate stronger, fuller flavours.” And while these range extensions are providing fans of cider with a greater range of options, Savanna hasn’t stopped there. Last year it heeded international market research which showed that consumers are looking for more variety – so it introduced Savanna Loco, a cider with a little twist of Tequila. Brand new to the market is Savanna Blackbeard. If your reaction was to go “Arrrr!” like a pirate, you’d be spot on! Savanna Blackbeard has a splash of rum. It wouldn’t be enough to slake the thirst of Captain Jack Sparrow or any of his ilk but all indications are that the market will take to it as enthusiastically as they did to the taste of Mexico mixing it up with cider.

The story Savanna Blackbeard has woven is a fun fable of a pirate crew who stumbled across the golden liquid in Barbados whilst ransacking a town. “The pirates soon realised the recipe for their liquid treasure had to be kept safe so that no one could ever replicate the taste. To keep this golden elixir a secret, they never remained in one place more than a few settings of the sun. For if they did, the recipe of the golden liquid could be stolen and lost to them forever ...”

As Savanna SA marketing manager Leanne Jones stated: “This is another proud moment for the brand as we continue to push boundaries with innovative flavour profiles. We’re excited to have our consumers experience a bold new taste sensation. Consumers know with Savanna they can expect an unexpected twist, but we always keep our original base to stay true to this iconic South African brand.”

Did you know

1 Cider: an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples 2 Designer of the iconic Apple logo Rob Janoff said the bite out of the fruit was intended to provide scale – or else it would have looked like a cherry! And there was the symbolic nature of taking a bite out of the apple that appealed way back in 1977. 3 Craft ciders: Cluver & Jack – a partnership between two well-known wine producers, Bruce Jack who started Flagstone winery and Paul Cluver of Paul Cluver wines. “We’re not two guys just deciding to make cider ... we understand apples,” said Paul Cluver, whose family is one of the largest apple farmers in South Africa. They select specific apple varieties and capture the essence of that fruit by bottling it. Bruce Jack’s statement is that there’s an argument to be made “that you could have drunk something similar to this 4 000 years ago. Nothing’s changed in that time ... and that’s really cool.” “There’s nothing dodgy in our cider. Just apples.” – Paul Cluver. William Everson started out making wine and made 1 000 litres of cider in 2009 “for fun”, using his wine basket press. “And that’s when the lightbulb went on ...” he said. It’s a handcrafted, small scale product which is available commercially but started out at markets such as the Old Biscuit Mill. His son Michael is now part of the setup and they’re having fun playing around, by ageing cider in barrels for 12 months, like a wine, making single variety cider and even perry – a pear version of cider. Windermere, based in the apple-growing region of Grabouw and Elgin, started out in 1994. Maker Tamsin Mullins firmly believes that every apple “was here for a higher purpose – and, oh my gosh, this is it!” Sxollie is the new kid on the block, having launched in 2015 and grown in leaps and bounds due to the guiding hands of cider maker Karol Ostaszewski and partner Laura Clacey who designed the label. “The craft cider market in South Africa is still small and experimental, so with our five years of cider experience (in Australia) under our belt, we knew we could convert South African’s to a proudly African handcrafted quality cider that tastes amazing.” Light and easy-drinking, Sxollie is a cider that captures the essence of the fruit – both Golden Delicious and Granny Smith.