The Cider Market in Canada Had for Years Traditionally been Two-Tiered

Tuesday 15 January 2013, Amsterdam

The cider market in Canada is in a period of rapid transition. Cider has long been domestically produced and commercially distributed in Canada as well as being imported (principally from the UK). However, it has only re-emerged as a beverage of interest for mainstream consumers since 2005.

Cider was a very popular choice in Canada for many generations, however by the early 1900s tastes had transitioned to other drinks (particularly beer) with cider becoming a very small volume beverage, highly regionalized and produced by small local producers. For the most part, beer producers and in particular the major brewers did not produce ciders and as such cider did not gain the advantage of their large distribution networks. The emergence of craft beers as a significant category in the beer segment has brought with it a renewed curiosity not only with respect to beer but also with respect to other beverages such as ice wine and ciders.

The market is currently enjoying significant growth both through marketing efforts supporting cider as trendy and fashionable while at the same time eliminating the common perception that it is simply "overly sweet-apple juice with alcohol" - a stigma long attached to cider and quickly being replaced with a new appreciation for cider as a serious category.

The cider market in Canada had for years traditionally been two-tiered, with premium ciders represented by imports such as Strongbow and Magners while high quality domestic ciders such as Growers and Okanagan.

Extra were generally pushed toward the discount categories with no real export market developed.

The recent emergence of cider as a legitimate beverage category in Canada along with the marketing effort of the breweries in support of Alexander Keith's and Seagram's among others is predicted to move the market in 2012 to a more balanced import/export trade.