Strongbow cider
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| Type | Cider |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer |
H. P. Bulmer (Heineken) Stassen (Europe) [Heineken] SABMiller (Australia) |
| Distributor |
Heineken International SABMiller (Australia) |
| Country of origin | England |
| Introduced | 1962 |
| Alcohol by volume | 4.5–5.3% |
| Colour | Golden yellow |
| Flavour | Initial strong ‘cidery’ flavour from the fermented bittersweet juice with a hint of ‘appliness’ or cooked apple coming from the culinary fruit. |
| Variants | Gold (dry) (excluding USA) Dark Fruit Citrus Edge Cloudy Apple Gold Apple Honey Red Berry Elderflower Ginger (USA only) |
| Website | http://strongbow.com |
Strongbow is a dry cider produced by H. P. Bulmer in England since 1962. Strongbow is the world's leading cider with a 15 per cent volume share of the global cider market, and a 29 per cent volume share of the UK cider market. Bulmer's is a subsidiary of Heineken International, the multinational Dutch brewer.
In 2011, Strongbow Gold, produced in Belgium, was launched across Europe in response to cider's growing popularity on the continent. In 2012, Strongbow was the highest selling cider in Australia, and was the second highest selling cider in North America.
The majority of Strongbow is produced at Bulmer's Hereford plant, although regional variations are also produced at Heineken's cider mill in Belgium, and in Australia, where SABMiller own the rights to the brand.
In 2014, the original Strongbow dry cider was discontinued in the USA by Heineken and replaced with two new sweeter variants.
Strongbow was launched in England by H.P. Bulmer in 1962. It is named after the Cambro-Norman knight Richard de Clare, later Earl of Pembroke, whose nickname "Strongbow" was believed to be due to his for reliance heavily on Welsh archers during campaigns in Ireland, but it more likely a mistranslation or mistranscription of Striguil, one of his holdings. It was initially marketed as "the strong cider for men". By 1970, it was the second highest selling cider in the world after its Bulmer's stablemate Woodpecker. By 2001, Strongbow was among the top ten drinks by sales in English and Welsh pubs and bars. In 2003 Bulmers was purchased by Scottish & Newcastle, who in turn were taken over by Heineken in 2008. In January 2011, Heineken announced their intention to take the Strongbow brand global.
In the United Kingdom, Strongbow is a blend of bitter-sweet cider and culinary apples, with 50 different varieties of apple used. The apples are grown in England and France. It is mass-produced using modern methods, and contains apple concentrate and sugar. It is fermented with a controlled yeast strain, and at least some varieties are flavoured with artificial sweeteners. The Bulmers Strongbow vat is the largest alcoholic container in the world, with a capacity of 1.5 million gallons (6.8 million litres).
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