FRUIT cider is pressing ahead as a top choice for quenching summer thirst with new ranges appearing in supermarkets everywhere.
Fun, frothy and typically low in alcohol content compared to other alcoholic drinks, at around four per cent abv, there are perfect picks for everyone, including sweet and dry options.
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From apple tree to tumbler, drinks expert Helena Nicklin from thethreedrinkers.com, tastes a selection of the orchard bevvies and gives Laura Stott her verdict on each one and a score out of five.
Älska Peach, Mango and Lime, £4.19 for 4 x 300ml cans, Aldi 4/5
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ALDI’s apple-derived cocktails in a can are new in store for the summer.
This Scandi-style cider with peach and mango is very refreshing and packs a punch without being too sweet or too fake, thanks to the additional splash of zesty lime.
Fantastic value at just over a quid a can and will chill easily in the cool bag for outdoor bevvies.
Brothers Raspberry Ripple, £2.35, 500ml, Morrisons.com 3/5
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MADE in Somerset with a combination of raspberry flavours alongside a touch of vanilla.
This cider, which was originally sold at Glastonbury Festival, is ravishingly retro in both look and taste.
When you open the bottle, this cider smells of boiled sweets.
More rhubarb and custard than raspberry ripple ice cream, it’s sweet and synthetic – but a bit of a guilty pleasure.
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Sötma Mixed Fruit Scandi Style Cider, £1.59, 500ml, Lidl 3/5
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HEAVY on the blackcurrant and bramble fruit flavours, this deep-red cider is cool and concentrated.
More grown-up in style than the others I tried and a little less sweet, it feels like the most natural – although for me it was not the most joyful.
Good value for money at well under £2 for a 500ml bottle.
It is also available in handy cans – you can buy four 330ml cans for £3.30 in store at Lidl.
Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime, 500ml, £2.30, Tesco.com 5/5
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THIS is one for the rosé wine drinkers, as it is pale and pretty.
Velvety textured, this pink tipple smells and tastes just like strawberries and cream.
With an added twist of lime, everything is kept super fresh.
Deliciously moreish, it’s an excellent summer sipper.
Enjoy it outside in the sunshine, in your garden or as the perfect refreshment at a picnic.
Strongbow Dark Fruit Cider, £6 for 4 x 440ml cans, Asda.com 2/5
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STRONGBOW is still trying to shake off its nineties, “my first drink” vibe and it almost manages that with this fruity cider in a can.
It’s one of a range that now also includes rosé cider.
Dark purple in a brooding black and purple can with a lot of blackcurrant flavour, it’s rather like sipping some fizzy Ribena with an added buzz.
Nice if you like that sort of thing.
Specially Selected Cranberry & Clementine, £1.99, 500ml, Aldi 5/5
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WITH understated, classy-looking packaging, Aldi has got it right with its range of flavoured ciders.
This cranberry and clementine version and has a lovely pale pink hue in the bottle.
It’s pretty natural on the nose and not overly sweet when you drink it.
This pale red sipper is super fresh thanks to its blend of crunchy berry and tangy citrus.
It’s great value for money, too.
Old Mout Cider Kiwi and Lime, £2, 500ml, Sainsburys.com 5/5
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JUST about everything I’ve tasted from this brand is a winner – and this kiwi and lime fruit-laced cider is no different.
Old Mout has New Zealand origins, however it produces its tipples here in Herefordshire.
This is gorgeously refreshing, not too sweet and with a real zing.
Old Mout do one thing – make cider – and they do it well.
Even their packaging is original and attractive.
A lovely drink to enjoy
Cornish Blackberry & Blackcurrent, £2.50, 500ml, M&S and Ocado.com 4/5
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