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[XiaNaphryz]

A-B to begin U.S. Stella Artois Cidre sales May 13:

In a bet that the thirst for hard cider will continue to grow, Anheuser-Busch will begin sales next week for Stella Artois Cidre in the U.S.

The beverage, first introduced in the United Kingdom in 2011, has 4.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) and is an extension of Stella Artois lager, one of Belgium-based A-B InBev's more than 200 brands. A 12-ounce bottle of Stella Artois Cidre has 170 calories and a 24-ounce bottle also will be available.

Retailers in 26 U.S. states, including the St. Louis region where A-B InBev's North American headquarters is based, will begin sales of Stella Artois Cidre on May 13. A national rollout is planned for the first quarter of 2014, company executives said.

Sales of hard cider account for less than 1 percent of U.S. beer sales, but grew nearly 85 percent at chain and convenience stores last year versus 2011, outpacing overall beer sales, according to research firm Symphony IRI. And, for the four-week period ending March 17, U.S. cider sales surged 110 percent compared to the same time period a year ago.

"There's growing demand for cider in the U.S.," Rick Oleshak, director of Stella Artois in the U.S., told the Post-Dispatch. "Historically in the U.S., cider has been sweeter." Stella Artois Cidre is a drier, European-style cider, Oleshak said, that will appeal to white wine drinkers.

"Three-fourths of the volume that we anticipate will come from outside beer," Oleshak said.

To differentiate itself from other ciders on the market, A-B will emphasize the pronunciation of Stella Artois Cidre (pronounced CEE-dra) in its advertising push set to begin later this summer.

"It's something different, a little more upscale" than what's currently on the market, Oleshak said.

For the U.S. market, Stella Artois Cidre is being produced in Baldwinsville, N.Y. The apples used for the U.S. will be sourced from North and South America.

Stella Artois, a Belgian beer that traces its origins to 1366, launched U.S. sales in 1999 and sold 1.3 million barrels in 2012. Like Stella Artois, which is available in a distinctive chalice, A-B will seek to have Stella Artois Cidre served in wine glasses at bars and sold at retail next to wine glasses for sale.

"We're trying to reshape the category," Oleshak said.

U.S. sales of Stella Artois Cidre comes after A-B InBev saw volume decline 5 percent in the U.S. in its first quarter, impacted by colder weather compared with a year ago. Revenue in the U.S. grew 4 percent, however, boosted by new product launches and A-B InBev's high-end brands, including Stella Artois.

 

[wenis]

Sounds good.

 

[Kuro Madoushi]

Will try it if we get it in Ontario, but it's hard to top my fave, Bulmer's

 

[Steelrain]

Never had Hard Cider before... Is it really sweet?

 

[Amory]

Never had Hard Cider before... Is it really sweet?

Depends on the brand. Stuff like Angry Orchard and Woodchuck are way too sweet for my taste, but Magners is very dry, and not very sweet at all.

 

[distantmantra]

Never had Hard Cider before... Is it really sweet?

It can be, but not always. There's a great craft cider market in the US and Canada right now. I've had some pretty incredible stuff. Merridale Ciderworks out of British Columbia has a Crabapple cider called "Scrumpy" which was pretty damn amazing. Reminded me of a wild ale/sour beer.

And why the hell is there ice in that glass?

 

[CheesecakeRecipe]

Guess i'll give it a shot. Didn't care too much for Woodchuck but I could see how this fares.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

Obligatory

I'm quite partial to a Stella Artois CIDER myself. (Always feel so fucking silly saying sid-reh at the bar), and I'll be drinking one after my last final exam tomorrow.

 

[Steelrain]

It can be, but not always. There's a great craft cider market in the US and Canada right now. I've had some pretty incredible stuff.

And why the hell is there ice in that glass?

Cool, ill have to try some when I see it.

 

[Chris R]

Guess i'll give it a shot. Didn't care too much for Woodchuck but I could see how this fares.

Woodchuck is terrible, but is often the only cider choice at bad bars and stores :|

 

[Davidion]

Drier cider is always good.

Crispin, step up.

 

[Amory]

Stella Artois beer blows, but I'll give the cider a shot when it gets here. Ciders are great in the summer, if they're not choked with sugar.

 

[Stormtrooper30]

Will try it if we get it in Ontario, but it's hard to top my fave, Bulmer's

Bulmer's Pear Cider or bust.

 

[FOOTE]

I'll try it.

 

[johnsmith]

I love woodchuck. Apple juice that'll get ya drunk, what's not to love?

 

[freenudemacusers]

this thread reminds me that hornsby's changed their packaging and I'm still angry about it.

the fuck is this

 

[SteveWinwood]

The old Hornsby's looked generic and crappy.

The new one isn't great but it's still better than it was.

 

[freenudemacusers]

The old Hornsby's looked generic and crappy.

The new one isn't great but it's still better than it was.

fuck you

Spoiler

jk..... PSYCHE

 

[radios shipping overview]

How pretentious. Or maybe it's a smart idea marketed to pretentious people.

Like Stella Artois, which is available in a distinctive chalice, A-B will seek to have Stella Artois Cidre served in wine glasses at bars and sold at retail next to wine glasses for sale.

I was going to suggest this as a joke, but it sounds like they're actually doing it.

 

[SteveWinwood]

How pretentious. Or maybe it's a smart idea marketed to pretentious people.



I was going to suggest this as a joke, but it sounds like they're actually doing it.

AB is all in on those dumb chalices. I have no clue why or how that route came up, but it seems to be working for them.

 

[Davidion]

How pretentious. Or maybe it's a smart idea marketed to pretentious people.



I was going to suggest this as a joke, but it sounds like they're actually doing it.

Wannane pretentious people. For us real pretentious folks, we want US and European imported microbrews. Peat and musk, ho!

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Wannane pretentious people. For us real pretentious folks, we want US and European imported microbrews. Peat and musk, ho!

Where would that place wine-snobs in the pretentious hierarchy?

 

[Davidion]

Where would that place wine-snobs in the pretentious hierarchy?

Pfffft, wine is so plebeian now.

But semi-seriously, wine is really easy and hard to be snobbish about, if that makes any sense.

 

[Karkador]

I like ciders, including the sweeter ones, but I don't like beer. Still, this whole 'you'll want to drink it from an wine glass/chalice (with ice??)' is not speaking to me. Can I just have a dependable availability and selection of ciders at bars instead?

 

[Davidion]

I like ciders, including the sweeter ones, but I don't like beer. Still, this whole 'you'll want to drink it from an wine glass/chalice (with ice??)' is not speaking to me. Can I just have a dependable availability and selection of ciders at bars instead?

Cider's been getting some traction at bars here in NY, which is nice to see. I can definitely see it gaining popularity, somewhat similar to the trajectory that microbrew beer has in the past few years, except at a slower clip.

I just hope is it introduces some better flavors; Woodchuck and a lot of the more popular cider brands are stupid saccharine sweet.

 

[DrFunk]

ooooooh, will try

 

[jamesinclair]

I love how much cider has expanded in the past five years. In central California, it's gone from specialty stores to every supermarket and many bars.

Crispin is my current favorite, but I'll give this a try.

 

[DietRob]

Will try

 

[bjscott05]

Definitely looking forward to this.

 

[Something Wicked]

Obligatory

Haha, even for the rare times I feel like drinking Stella, I usually reconsider it because of that stupid "chalice" the beer gets poured into.

 

[SnakeXs]

Mildly related, but I've been absolutely in love with Shock Top's Honeycrisp Apple Wheat.

 

[edible_candle]

Crispin and Fox Barrel Pear Cider are my two current standbys.

Edit: And I just found out Crispin owns Fox Barrel.

Edit2: Which is owned by MillerCoors. Hmm.

 

[distantmantra]

Mildly related, but I've been absolutely in love with Shock Top's Honeycrisp Apple Wheat.

Totally related, they're both AB-InBev beers.

As a craft beer guy, I find those "crafty" beers from AB-Inbev (Shock Top) and Coors (Blue Moon) fascinating. Not sure who their target market is.

 

[Meier]

I love cider so I'll give it a shot. I wish someone would distribute that one brand of cider that everyone in the UK likes. It's Belgian-sounding or something and has shitloads of different fruit varieties.

Drier cider is always good.

Crispin, step up.

http://i.imgur.com/oobMh8G.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]

Try their Fox Barrel pear. It's quite good. One of my favorite Instagram shots:

[IMG]http://distillery.s3.amazonaws.com/media/2011/10/09/d675fe79f5684260ba8dc03fb8e20f25_7.jpg

Edit: Just fully read the OP and saw that this will be dry. Fuck off then Stella. Dry cider is gross.

 

[Talon]

Pfffft, wine is so plebeian now.

But semi-seriously, wine is really easy and hard to be snobbish about, if that makes any sense.

Right. You either definitely have no idea what you're talking about or know so much that it's impossible to hold a conversation.

 

[Davidion]

I love cider so I'll give it a shot. I wish someone would distribute that one brand of cider that everyone in the UK likes. It's Belgian or something and has shitloads of flavors.

Ugh, tell me it's not Koffarbergs

Right. You either definitely have no idea what you're talking about or know so much that it's impossible to hold a conversation.

Yeah seriously. I'm one of the few people who do not get wine whatsoever, so I can conveniently exclude myself from all conversation.

 

[RedShift]

I love cider so I'll give it a shot. I wish someone would distribute that one brand of cider that everyone in the UK likes. It's Belgian-sounding or something and has shitloads of different fruit varieties.



Try their Fox Barrel pear. It's quite good.

Kopperburg? Probably spelled that way wrong.

I go for Stowford Press personally.

 

[Snkfanatic]

this thread reminds me that hornsby's changed their packaging and I'm still angry about it.



the fuck is this

What the fu....wow that looks terrible. I loved their old logo

 

[Lionel Mandrake]

The more cider the better.

 

[MakeMeFeelAlive]

I enjoy stella. I traveled through london a couple weeks back and tried similar cider (not from stella) and it was pretty good. Look forward to tasting it here

 

[freenudemacusers]

What the fu....wow that looks terrible. I loved their old logo

*daps* *brofist* etc

 

[Davidion]

Try their Fox Barrel pear. It's quite good. One of my favorite Instagram shots:


Edit: Just fully read the OP and saw that this will be dry. Fuck off then Stella. Dry cider is gross.

I shall. And yet it seems like you're a member of the sweet cider army, which means we must forever be enemies.

 

[DJMicLuv]

It's a really nice cider. Sweet without being too sweet, very appley, no dodgy aftertaste.

I was really impressed when I first had it about a year back in the UK, a really nice cider.

 

[Delusibeta]

Calling Stella Artois Cidre a "hard cider"? BWHAHAHAHAHA. If that's "hard cider", I don't want to know the pisswater that Americans call "regular cider".

[Edit] And they're marketing it as a "dry" cider? BWHAHAHAHAHAHA. Again, if that's "dry", I don't want to know what "sweet" cider is.

 

[codhand]

it's already available in some parts, like NE

Calling Stella Artois Cidre a "hard cider"? BWHAHAHAHAHA. If that's "hard cider", I don't want to know the pisswater that Americans call "regular cider".

thanks for identifying that you havent a clue what youre talking about

 

[Delusibeta]

thanks for identifying that you havent a clue what youre talking about

Mate, I've had hard cider. Stella Artois is nothing like hard cider.

 

[codhand]

Mate, I've had hard cider. Stella Artois is nothing like hard cider.

Stella Artois is also nothing like Stella Artois Cidre.

And why the hell is there ice in that glass?

It can be nice, I like Crispin on ice, on a hot day it's great.

 

[Davidion]

Mate, I've had hard cider. Stella Artois is nothing like hard cider.

In the US hard cider categorizes all alcoholic cider. "Plain" cider refers to a non-alcoholic apple beverage.

Learn your markets.

 

[Delusibeta]

In the US hard cider categorizes all alcoholic cider. "Plain" cider refers to a non-alcoholic apple beverage.

Learn your markets.

Huh. I'd expected the non-alcoholic stuff to be called "apple juice drink", since that's what it is. Where I'm from, "hard cider" is the 10%+ ABV shit that's usually marketed as "farmhouse cider". Apologies for being an incorrect asshole.

 

[distantmantra]

Apple juice and cider are different things.