I have enjoyed reading peoples reaction to the new commercial ‘cider’ on the market – Stella Cidre, made from Belgian Apple Syrup.

The company that owns Stella Artois, Anheuser-Busch InBev, is the world’s largest brewer and also produces the likes of Beck’s, Budweiser and Brahma as well Staropramen, Leffe and Hoegaarden.

Stella Artois Cidre will be 4.5% abv.

OK, clever marketing over the years from the manufacturers like Magners would make you believe that they are all collecting apples by hand from family run orchards. Without going into too much detail on this post -> here’s why these ciders are not recognised as real cider.

Anyway, what’s the cider like?

Here’s some reviews from my cider colleagues:

Nick Morris reviews the cider and concludes:

In taste, it was sweet, sickly and very artificial. I will say it is very smooth and easy to drink, but it just isn’t cider. The odd thing about it was that it still had that Stella taste to it.

Pete Brown says:

If you’re a craft cider purist, look away now – you’re going to say it’s not cider because it’s not 100% apple juice, and that at least three of these four brands are tasteless abominations.  I’m not about to say anything that will convince you otherwise.

Bill Bradshaw over at his blog has some photography taken at a few of the larger cidermaking companies here in UK to show you just how different a different kettle of fish they are from artisan producers.

He is more sympathetic on his review of the product:

Although Stella Cidre is not my cuppa tea, I will give thousands of people satisfaction and if you were to compare it to many of the other industrial ciders readily available all over the country (many of which are also made in the UK- oh the irony) it is actually better than a good proportion of them.

From my experience of the cider, it is acceptable as a commercial cider that will appeal to the mass markets who like cider with ice cubes.

After all this cider and other fruit ciders are attracting a new type of cider drinker, mainly women aged between 18 and 24.

It may be refreshing, but it ain’t real

Have you tried it?

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