We've known about alcohol-free beers for years, alcohol-free wines are making their way onto supermarket shelves and there are more and more innovations in alcohol-free spirits, but what about dealcoholised cider?
On the other side of the Atlantic, dealcoholised ciders are becoming more and more common. This is not surprising when you consider that cider is the favourite drink of almost one in ten Canadians and that dealcoholised drinks are becoming increasingly popular. Among the producers who have launched their alcohol-free ciders is the famous Cidrerie du Minot. After 30 years of producing classic ciders, the distillery decided to take the plunge in order to meet the demand.
International competitions have not missed this trend either. The 2021 edition of the International Cider Challenge saw the arrival of dealcoholised ciders. Gold, silver and bronze medals were won by non-alcoholic ciders from various producers. James Finch, chairman of the competition, commented: "Over the last two years we have seen an exponential increase in non-alcoholic or low-alcohol wines in all categories (...). Cider is finally catching up and we have seen a record number of medal entries following the trend.
In France, even if the market is not yet very developed, producers are already starting to take an interest in it, particularly in order to meet the growing demands of consumers who want a lighter alternative.
Much more than a simple effervescent apple juice, alcohol-free cider is above all the fruit of the producer's work. It is not about creating a drink for children but an alternative for cider lovers who wish to reduce their alcohol consumption, for health reasons or before driving for example. The use of dealcoholisation technologies allows the creation of quality alcohol-free products from cider, thus enhancing the producer's know-how.