Cider’s long-held reliance on sunshine and summer drinking occasions is being challenged as new data reveals falling volumes despite record warm weather. Ciderologist Gabe Cook examines why the category is leaking drinkers – and how to win them back
Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of the United States of America and was, as it happens, a huge cider enthusiast and advocate. You’d probably best know him as the slightly smirking face on the back of a US$100 bill or for being the source of one of the most famous quotes in history: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
I would also add to the list the following: “And drinkers will consume more cider when the sun is shining and the temperatures are above 19°C.” My confidence in that addition to the fabled quote is well founded. Anyone who has followed drinks trend data over the past 40 years knows that volume sales of cider massively over index between April and September. For many it is a beverage only to be consumed in shorts and short-sleeved tops, quite possibly only at a festival.
This is why the headline figure from the Westons cider report has hit me with a jolt. Less cider was sold during 2025, which included the most prolonged period of warm/ dry weather in documented UK history, compared to 2024, which gave us a thoroughly wet and cold summer.
Let me say it again: despite considerably more sunshine in 2025, less cider was sold than in 2024. That is a startling and alarming statistic. Naturally, I have been an advocate for cider being consumed all year round (it has the stylisation and ability to do so), but extra summertime sippers have just been a given. Admittedly, this is a single statistic and does not tell the hundreds of sub-plots that lie underneath, but there’s no denying that it represents a paradigm shift for cider.
Cider has lost roughly 300 million litres (around 50%) of volume sales in the last 15 years and finds itself roughly at the same volume as it was in 2006 – the year Magners turned cider’s fortunes. The current status isn’t all doom and gloom – speak to Thatchers, Westons or Hawkstone for good news stories – but the fact is, cider is leaking drinkers. So, what can be done to reverse the tide?
In my opinion, the good news is that there is plenty that can be done. Barring the introduction of a category revolutionising brand, à la 2006, I believe the opportunities actually lie in a multitude of different avenues. One of cider’s greatest attributes is the incredible array of pack types, production methods, flavour profiles and occasions that it encompasses, but that have been massively underexplored. The time is now for cider to embrace life as an ensemble rather than simply a one-tricky pony. Here are my top tips.
Apple of my eye
As ever, my prerogative is to put the focus on apples, which are not only the key raw material for cider, but a living embodiment of the heritage, culture and community of this drink in UK and beyond. We’re seeing a slow shift away from flavoured ciders back towards apple. It would be great to see more cidermakers talk about the varieties: their names, nuances and flavour profiles. Once consumers are aware of the diversity of styles that can be achieved with different varieties then there will be further exploration, as with wine grape varieties.
Support for apples, of course, means support for orchards, which might just be UK cider’s great asset in years to come, for they are, to my mind, the most sustainable landscape use we have in the UK. Not only do they provide a great economic lifeline to the rural economies of the west and south east, their carbonation sequestration and ecological value is considerably higher than an annual monoculture crop. Throw in the social amenity value of orchards – walks, picnics, mindfulness, weddings – and these fields with trees take on a truly magical mantle which is becoming an increasingly important consideration for retailers and consumers.
High & low
The polar opposites of the alcohol spectrum are seeing great growth. Low & no-alcohol cider, after a slightly slow start versus beer, is beginning to catch up with some truly great 0% abv and 0.5% abv offerings in the marketplace. But there is still so much room for growth. At the other end of the spectrum, vintage or reserve ciders with abvs north of 7% are growing in brand numbers and total volume as people continue to drink less but better. Which leads into…
Crafted
The Westons Cider Report tells us the crafted segment accounts for 25% of all cider sales. Now, exactly what constitutes ‘crafted’ is up for debate, but it’s the most value-laden part of cider. Many consumers are willing to spend good money on good cider – and in the UK there are hundreds of artisanal brands which don’t have great routes to market because their volumes are too small for grocers or their rrps don’t fit into the three-for-£6 offer so many retailers demand.
The better-than versions of mainstream brands sit here. These are modern/mature flavoured ciders (eg with hops or co-fermented with damsons) and 75cl bottles of ‘fine cider’ made like sparkling or table white wine, to be shared, savoured and served with food. There is also a gaping opportunity for an importer/distributor to explore the untapped US cider scene. There are brands of the same ilk of energy, dynamism and fun that helped drive craft beer in the UK 20 years ago.
None of the above will come easily. It will take some entrepreneurial spirit from makers and some faith and occasionally a bit of a punt from retailers. But I believe cider can turn things around once its full range of opportunities is embraced and understood by the trade and drinkers.
