Interest in cider is growing all over the world, both in countries where it was traditionally consumed, such as Spain, France or England, and in others where it is a novelty, such as Norway, Sweden or Latvia.
“Without a doubt, cider is in fashion,” says Tano Collada, oenologist for the El Gaitero Group, producer of the famous cider that is omnipresent at Christmas in thousands of Spanish homes – but not only. “More and more cider is being consumed, it is made in greater quantities and in more different ways. In the Nordic countries it is postulating as a national drink; in the US, for about 8 years, the trend is growing; and in Spain, growth is slower because what the consumer is asking for is a premium cider: we are never going to occupy the beer niche, so the strategy is to produce a high-end product, be careful, to which people are interested because of the wine it is more open”.
Although it is true that in recent years we have seen a firm commitment to cider by large brewing groups, which developed cider-style products and offered their shooters in bars, the truth is that they were not exactly cider. “The cider is 100% apple juice and only that can be labeled as such. The rest of the drinks, made from apple concentrate, can be labeled as 'cider', but they do not have the European legal recognition to be cider," says Collada. However, she acknowledges that these products had a positive impact on the sector: "it was good that consumers began to see ciders in bars and at times other than Christmas."
Collada highlights the diversity in the world of cider, noting that in addition to the apple varieties, of which there are hundreds, there are also many different ways of making cider, as well as consumption formats and cultural issues. “For example – he says, referring to the latter – in Asturias, pouring is a matter of culture linked to the optimal service of natural cider. With the pouring it breaks and the carbonic gas of the cider floats out, which gives the drink liveliness. It is vital in Asturias, but it should not be a limiting factor outside of it: cider should be drunk anyway”. In order not to lose that vigor that pouring gives it, the oenologist recommends pouring the cider into the glass from a height of about 30 or 40 centimeters.
"In order for more cider to be drunk, the consumer needs to know both the national and international product, and to learn to differentiate which product is well made," says Collada, who stresses: "natural cider is the only drink that legally has the last name 'natural', since it reflects its production process, without added or residual sugar. Many people think that natural cider has a lot of chemistry and it is not true, since it is not filtered or stabilized. At most, it can have sulfites.”
The sommelier Juan Luis García, a Murcian by birth, did not doubt for a moment that the menu at Casa Marcial, where he has worked since 2012, could be paired entirely with different ciders. “When I arrived, Nacho Manzano had a plate of andarica (crab crab) and I thought what better way to eat it than to drink it with a cider, just like in a cider house. From that moment, I began to study the area, the producers, the importers' catalogs and I got the ciders I needed”.
Today, in the Casa Manzano winery they have 40 cider references. “I don't know if it's becoming fashionable or not,” García reasons, “but the truth is that it's taking off and creating its place in haute cuisine. Cider is still thought of as that green bottle, an escancao and a prairie party, as that very informal drink, in a cider house, for going out to drink with friends, and that is Asturian culture, but we firmly believe that it is also can treat as one treats wine”.
The pairing with cider that García proposes is not poured, it begins, passes and ends in Asturias and, in turn, offers a global tour of the world's ciders, as well as a visit to all styles of cider. He affirms that the acceptance is very high and that they win over customers from their arrival: everyone is offered a welcome glass of cider that encourages many to opt for a pairing with it.
For the pommelier, cider distributor and organizer of the International Cider Summit 2023, which took place last March in Gijón, Eduardo V. Coto, cider is also generating great interest. “However, he is doing it unevenly: more in the Nordic countries, eastern Europe and northern Italy. It is precisely the countries that do not have a cider-making tradition –although they do have a tradition of drinking drinks made with fruit– that are showing the most interest, perhaps because they do not have prejudices”.
For Coto, Spain has a long way to go and the sector is looking for its niche. He agrees with Collada that the cider will go down the path of quality instead of looking for large productions. “The Spanish cider industry today makes large productions (the smallest produces about 120,000 liters) and sells at a low price. It has nothing to do with the world of wine, there is no identification with the producer or the area. However, much remains to be done: cider producers must travel with their ciders, go to fairs, show them around the world, give them a taste in restaurants. It is necessary to follow this other path, since Asturias, little by little, is becoming depopulated”. Of the 1.2 million Asturians, who are the ones who mainly drink cider in our country, it has risen to 900,000 and today "the sector is getting nervous because consumption is falling and it is already having an impact on different producers: every 2 years, a cider press is closing," says Coto.
“Although at first it was thought that cider was going to rise in parallel with craft beer, as in the United Kingdom or the United States, this has not happened here. It is occupying and most likely will occupy a niche along with wine, in restaurants, stimulating the interest of customers who are inclined to try new references. Cider has to continue to be a popular drink, but excellence and a high-end product must also be sought." It is not surprising that cider is always represented in the many natural wine fairs that are held both in our country and abroad. "Younger people come to cider interested in natural wine, and because they share spaces," says Coto, who celebrates the initiative in Norway, where the association of cider makers is receiving government support to boost the sector. “It is a circular business, since the production of cider depends on the local production of apples, and later it will be served, for the most part, in national establishments”.
