Cider is Britain’s most popular new alcoholic drink

A NEW orange-flavoured cider from Thatchers cider mill near Bristol has been named the most popular new alcoholic drink in Britain.

The brand’s Blood Orange cider, which was trialled in selected pubs across Bristol in 2021 and rolled out into stores across the country this year, has been named the most successful new alcoholic drink.

It has been bought by more people this year than any other newly-launched drink in the ‘BWS sector’ – the beer, wine and spirit market that includes ciders.

The cider mill, farm and orchards, based at Sandford, near Bristol, also launched a dark fruits variety this year to join cider variations, including Cloudy Lemon and Thatchers Haze, that went on sale in recent years.

Retail sales figures released by the Kantar Shoppers Panel and the IRI for sales up to the first week of October have revealed that the Thatchers Blood Orange variety has become one of the top four bestselling fruit ciders in the UK, just months after it was launched in supermarkets across the country, and has sold more bottles and cans in stores than all the other new ciders launched in 2022 combined.

Chris Milton, director for offsales trade at Thatchers, said shoppers were getting more adventurous in what kind of drinks they tried – and Blood Orange had proved very popular.

“Blood Orange has tapped into the biggest flavour trend for this year, helping reinvigorate the category,” he said.

“As shoppers are getting more adventurous, looking for excitement and innovation alongside knowing they are purchasing a great quality cider, Thatchers Blood Orange is a fantastic example of how an exciting, premium cider has had an impact nationally in the market.”

The drink is not that strong for a cider – just four per cent – and is made with some of the sweetest apple varieties of Braeburn, Fuji and Gala, with a twist of citrussy orange flavour.