Smirnoff vodka launches first ciders

The 4% ABV ciders have a recommended retail price of £4.50 for the on-trade and have been launched to help operators better tap into the £2.7bn cider segment.

In an exclusive podcast interview with the Publican’s Morning Advertiser​, Smirnoff maker Diageo's innovation and commercialisation manager Claire O’Neill said: “Fruit cider is in massive growth in every part of the market at the moment – whether it’s in the off-trade or the on-trade – but it’s in even higher growth in the on-trade.

‘New products within fruit cider’​

“In the on-trade about 19 out of 25 people are seeking new products within fruit cider and that’s verses a Great Britain category average of about 78%.”

The bottle created for Smirnoff Cider has been designed to be “disruptive”, said O’Neill and so consumers could see how clean the liquid is as well as what flavour it is.

In terms of how Smirnoff Cider could add value to the on-trade, she said: “Packaged formats are a really big part of the on-trade and adding that visibility and showing that there’s a new product is really important.”

Listen to the rest of this podcast to hear more facts and statistics about the sales of fruit cider and packaged products in the on-trade.

Innovation in cider​

Meanwhile, innovation in cider will be a big focus at this month’s Future Trends: Beer & Cider event, which is organised by the Publican’s Morning Advertiser. ​

For more information and to book your place contact Joanne Horton by email at Joanne.Horton@wrbm.com​ or by phone on 01293 610 403.

Alternatively, you can visit www.FutureTrendsBeerandCider.co.uk​ where you can see the full agenda and cook your seat.