Is Hard Apple Cider The New Beer? Crisp Beverage Making A Comeback Around The World

Hard apple cider is a beverage often affiliated with the fall seasons, but the crisp-tasting sweet alcoholic beverage has a lot to offer. There's a fine distinction between cider and apple juice--the former is a raw apple juice that has not been filtered to remove the pulp, while the latter has filtered to remove the sediment. And while in the United States the word "hard" is added to disclose alcohol content, in the rest of the world "cider" alone refers to the alcoholic beverage.

In Mexico, hard apple cider (and cider, in general) is consumed during Christmas season. Cider was introduced to the North American country with the influx of Spanish immigrants. The beverage is not seen as a delicacy--the affordable prices make give it a low quality reputation. There are two variations of cider that are popular in Mexico: a carbonated soft drink variation and an alcoholic cider that substitutes champagne.

Historically, research suggests that variations of hard apple cider was consumed by the Romans and ancient Hebrews. In fact, Julius Caesar is said to have discovered the Celtic Britons fermenting cider from crabapples in 55 BCE. In Britain, cider was the drink of choice by the middle of the 17th century and the drink was so popular that sometimes wages were subsidized with cider. The drink was introduced to France during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 and quickly became one of the most popular drinks. But it's the people of northern Spain who had been making a variation, called sidra, before the birth of Christ.

Cider was introduced to America just nine years after colonization, with European settlers planting apples trees along the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Since water was typically not safe for consumption in colonial America, most homes had an apple orchard and apple cider was a common beverage. In the 1800s, the Industrial Revolution, coupled with other factors, diminished the popularity of cider in America and beer became the replacement.

But that's not to say cider doesn't have the potential to make a comeback. In Europe, the popularity of hard apple cider is soaring and with the demand, the availability of higher quality ciders are becoming more rampant.

"Cider has tremendous potential for growth here in the U.S.," said Eli Aguilera, Brand Marketing Director for Johnny Appleseed -- a new brand of hard cider launching on Apr. 7 nationwide--in the U.S., to Latin Times. "It’s a beverage that’s enjoying a major moment of popularity in the U.S. and we’re confident those thirsting for discovery and new experiences will turn the cider trend into a phenomenon (IRI DATA SOURCE: Cider segment’s growth has continued to soar, with cider sales growing nearly 100 percent for the 52-week period ending on January 26, reaching $220.7 million total)."

And if you think hard cider is a gender-specific beverage, think again! Aguilera explains that the Johnny Appleseed hard apple cider -- the pale golden fermented apple juice contains 5.5 percent alcohol--was created by Anheuser-Busch with the co-ed consumer in mind. As for how to consume it, Aguilera shares: "With spring in the air and summer around the corner, Johnny Appleseed is best enjoyed with friends and served on the rocks in a high ball glass."