The team behind Schilling Cider, a leading cider producer in the Pacific Northwest in the US, announced the launch of Vida Maté, a new line of low-calorie, non-alcoholic yerba maté beverages that seek to transform the caffeine experience. Crafted to elevate the traditional South American “super beverage” with the craft quality of the Pacific Northwest, Vida Maté is made with real fruit juice and a proprietary blend of adaptogens. The result is a refreshing, delicious alternative to sugary coffee drinks and artificially flavoured caffeine-in-a-can. With operations based in Seattle and Portland, the Schilling team is excited to debut this new plant-powered pick-me-up, made exclusively with naturally occurring caffeine.
Vida Maté fits the gluten-free and vegan-friendly lifestyle, offering a boost in vitality and focus through a functional blend of adaptogens: Vitamin B12 for a power boost, L-Theanine for focus, and GABA for stress relief combine to ensure a clean, jitter-free delivery of caffeine with no unpleasant crashes.
Launching with three flavours – Lemon Mint, Mango Lime, and Blackberry Lemonade – Vida Maté is available in 16 oz. cans at thousands of grocery, convenience, and natural food stores across the Pacific Northwest, since March 1, 2022.
“Innovating in healthful, refreshing beverages is our calling,” says Colin Schilling, CEO and co-Founder of Schilling Cider. “This starts with the same quality and techniques we bring to crafting our fresh-pressed apple cider. It’s exciting to push those boundaries into the yerba maté segment. Consumers are demanding delicious, healthier options made right here in their backyard, and we can’t wait to share Vida Maté with our community.”
While other canned yerba maté drinks depend on a formula that involves non-yerba maté derived and synthetically produced caffeine, Vida Maté’s caffeine occurs naturally and comes 100 % from yerba maté. And because Vida Maté is made from real fruit juice, it’s not overly sweet and it’s lower in calories and sugar.
The team at Schilling has long enjoyed traditional yerba maté drinks, before launching their own. Yerba maté is a plant indigenous to South America. The leaves and twigs are dried, dried over a fire, and then steeped in hot water for an invigorating tea.
This year, VOG Products, an innovative fruit processing company from Trentino-South Tyrol (Italy), produced a base for apple vinegar (cider) for the first time. After all, a current development in the market shows that the trend is moving from balsamic vinegar towards apple vinegar. For apple vinegar, the company has special tanks for fermentation. Concentrate and juice from high-quality raw goods are used as base for the cider that is further processed by the vinegar industry.
Another new addition to the VOG Products assortment: apple flour and dried apples in the form of rings or cubes – as our customers wish – from various apple varieties. With these products, VOG Products primarily targets the baked goods and sweets industries, as well as granola producers and suppliers of fruit preparations.
The continuous availability of premium raw goods, traceability and the highest quality and safety standards are important components of VOG Products’ recipe for success. At the same time, the fruit processing company established in 1967 values innovation and further development highly. VOG Products now belongs to 4 producers’ organisations from South Tyrol and Trentino plus 18 cooperatives from South Tyrol with a total of around 10,000 members.
In 2020 and continuing into 2021, COVID-19 has profoundly affected trading in the UK, with the cider market losing 16.3 %* volume in 2020, dropping to 7837.36 thousand hectolitres, according to GlobalData. However, the leading data and analytics company notes that, with restrictions being lifted and most businesses emerging from lockdown, the possibility of a successful trading year for many companies should not be ruled out, especially those heavily involved in beer and cider production.
Chloe Gbadero, Senior Beverages Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The lifting of restrictions is great news for companies such as C&C Group, a large cider producer in the UK, which saw a 56.1 %** revenue decline during 2020 due to lockdown measures and an overall downturn for the industry. In H2 2021, C&C Group, and many other companies, have potential to see volume uplifts compared to last year, now that bars and pubs have reopened. This, combined with the potential for warm and sunny weather during the summer months, will continue to encourage outdoor dining and companies would do well to take advantage of the remaining summer months to recoup sales losses during lockdown.”
In GlobalData’s most recent survey in the UK, 21 %*** of respondents demonstrated that when it comes to alcoholic beverages, including cider, fruity flavours are the most appealing. This is 4 % more than citrus flavoured alcoholic products, highlighting a gap in the market for unique flavoured fruit ciders – which producers could benefit from through innovation of products for the remainder of 2021, as usually UK consumers are not the most experimental, preferring sweet and fruity flavours over unique/novel.
Gbadero continues: “It would be interesting to see if alcohol companies will consider further promoting their pre-existing flavoured beverages or introduce new variants in order to encourage further growth. For instance, Old Mout has introduced a new watermelon and lime flavoured variant to its range, following the successful launch of its pineapple and raspberry flavor.
“After a less than favourable 2020, which has fueled long-term loss in the forecast period to 2026, there is still light at the end of the tunnel for this well-established and popular category, provided that producers continue to innovate in line with changing consumer behaviors, and collaborate with on-premise locations to promote cider consumption.”
*GlobalData’s Intelligence Centre – Quarterly Beverage Forecast **C&C Group – Annual Report 2020 ***GlobalData’s Consumer Survey – Q2 United Kingdom
Shire City Herbals, maker of award-winning Fire Cider, is pleased to add Elderberry Tonic to its lineup of ACV-powered functional beverages. The new Elderberry Tonic features elderberry, apple cider vinegar, tulsi, ginger, cinnamon, and clove, and was born from years of meticulous R&D, sourcing, and formulation.
“We are excited to introduce Fire Cider’s long-awaited cousin – Elderberry Tonic. Last year’s rebrand of Shire City Herbals created a canvas for us to roll out new products beyond Fire Cider, and also to broaden our support for smaller makers from our area of Massachusetts – The Berkshires,” explains Kim Allardyce, CEO of Shire City Herbals.
Elderberry Tonic was designed to be taken daily as a teaspoon or shot as part of a proactive wellness ritual. Just like Fire Cider, it can also be a special condiment in salads, cocktails, mocktails, and marinades.
Shire City Herbals’ Elderberry Tonic is available on ShireCityHerbals.com starting at $ 19.99 and will be introduced to retailers in the US at Expo East on Sept. 23, 2021, in what is slated to be the first live natural products event since the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Commercial productive apple growing in a northern climate – terroir project in sub arctic Sweden well ahead of schedule
As 2021 rolls into the calendar the project “Commercial productive apple growing in a northern climate – innovation for new climate resilient agriculture in northern Europe”, a project to lay the foundation of a new apple growing region in Northern Europe and as a result, a new terroir in nordic wine and cider culture reaches some milestones and enters the next phase.
The project has been met with enthusiasm and strong response from a wide range of farmers across the region and the project is well ahead of the projected planting schedule.
The collaboration group comprised of academics, nurseries, professionals specialised in growing commercial crops in the north as well as wholesale and commercial apple growing has managed to secure trial grounds and, as part of the project’s commitment towards EIP-Agri also initiated the establishment of a comparative orchard in the south of Sweden using the hybrid planting system that the project is championing.
Project manager, Daniel Pacurar,
“The response has been overwhelming and we are in a situation where we could probably plant the entire scope of the project in its first year of establishment alone. This is very encouraging. On top of that we have a number of potential growers on a waiting list which means we now need to look at the possibilities of expanding the project both in terms of time as well as resources.”
“Commercial productive apple growing in a northern climate – innovation for new climate resilient agriculture in northern Europe” presently runs from 2020 to 2023, funded by EIP-agri, the European union fund for innovation and productivity within agriculture, in collaboration with a group of experts together with established farmers, budding cider producers and professional gardening businesses across the region who want to add, diversify or are looking to grow apples for wholesale or sales into beverage production.
Project owner is Brännland Cider, situated at latitude 63 on the Baltic seaboard, among the worlds most respected producers of ice cider.
About Brännland Cider Brännland Cider produces ice cider using 100% Swedish apples for a national and international market. The company’s first vintage, an ice cider produced in the Swedish county of Västerbotten, not far from the arctic circle, using Swedish apples in adherence to the denomination set in the country of origin of ice cider, Canada, was released in 2012.
Unique floral notes, mellow tartness and bright color offer citrus appeal for beverages
Oregon Fruit Products LLC released Meyer Lemon Puree, an intensely citrusy and brightly-colored Fruit for Fermentation offering that can be incorporated into a variety of beer, wine, cider, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages.
Favored for its unique floral notes and mellow tartness, Meyer lemons are more seasonal and not as widely available as conventional lemons. With Oregon Fruit’s aseptic packaging, beverage makers can take advantage of having shelf-stable Meyer Lemon Puree ready to use any time of year, saving valuable time and money on fruit sourcing and preparation.
Oregon Fruit Meyer Lemon Puree’s smooth consistency, low viscosity and more rounded malic acid profile makes for easy integration into the fermentation process and has proven to be a successful formula with the company’s other citrus offerings.
“As we saw with the demand for our Key Lime Puree, the consumer is constantly seeking new flavor experiences and is more open to trying new types of citrus than ever before,” says Chris Hodge, director of brewing sales at Oregon Fruit. “We expect the Meyer Lemon Puree will offer a similar point of difference in flavor and sourcing for beverage makers to convey in their own marketing.”
Like all Oregon Fruit Purees, Meyer Lemon Puree has no added sugar or preservatives, and is minimally processed to ensure the best fresh fruit flavor and color. The puree’s aseptic packaging allows for a shelf life of five months in ambient temperature.
Oregon Fruit Meyer Lemon Puree is now available in 42 lb. bag-in-box. The product is certified kosher, made in the U.S.A., non-GMO, gluten-free and vegetarian. Oregon Fruit Products does not use, nor does it allow, any of the eight major allergens (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat) in the products or processing areas.
Oregon Fruit Products LLC Founded in 1935, Oregon Fruit Products offers a complete line of canned, frozen and shelf-stable premium fruit for consumers, foodservice operators and ingredient sales. The company is located in Salem, Oregon (USA).
European Cider Trends 2020 is a collaboration between Global Data and the European Cider and FruitWine Association (AICV) in producing a guide that demonstrates the current key markets for cider (which includes perry, fruit flavoured cider and in some countries fruit wine).
Although considerably smaller than the wine, beer, or spirits industries, it is nevertheless a fact that in recent years in some EU countries cider and fruit wines have enjoyed one of the fastest growth rates of all alcoholic beverages, underlining the continuous popularity of fermented fruit drinks down the ages.
The purpose of the document is to increase the awareness of cider to stakeholders (principally lawmakers and those involved with policy formulation) who may not be familiar with cider and all its varieties. …
The 2020 edition of the European Cider Trends brochure is now available for download: www.aicv.org
Despite the initial scare for the beer and cider market, expectation is that new 2022 forecasts, which falls short of the original baseline expectations, could have been much worse, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
According to the company’s recent (June 5) COVID-19 adjusted forecasts, the global beer and cider market will recover to 2019 value by 2022, reaching US$630.4bn in 2022; this represents a difference of -US$55.4bn against the previous baseline value of that same year*.
Aaron Bryson, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The substantial shrinkage is a reflection of the damage caused by a nonexistent foodservice channel throughout much of the year. In contrast, consumer confidence, which was initially decimated but rebounded relatively quickly, saw consumers retreating to the comfort of their own home with their favorite brands of beer and cider, as opposed to at the local pub.”
According to GlobalData’s Week 10 COVID-19 tracker consumer survey, published on June 3, 43 % of global respondents still expect the situation to get worse over the next month in their respective countries*2. Despite this, consumers purchasing habits in relation to beer and cider have largely been maintained. The same survey found that 45 %*3 of respondents have been purchasing the same amount or more beer, since the outbreak of COVID-19. In contrast, only 28 %*4 of respondents stated that they had reduced or stopped buying beer since the outbreak.
A similar story is seen with cider. The survey found that 33 %*3 of respondents had maintained or increased the volume of cider they purchase, and 28 %*4 had also reduced or stopped purchasing cider, since the outbreak.
Bryson continues: “The original concern displayed at the beginning of the outbreak had limited longer impacts upon beer and cider sales. A key reason being that, at home drinking is part of a routine for certain consumer cohorts in which they derive both pleasure and comfort. Something which most people have been looking for since the outbreak.”
Whilst the outlook for the beer industry is expected to lag behind pre-COVID-19 expectations, the immediate fallout, which posed a challenging landscape for big and small players alike, has largely leveled out. Consumers have shown a preference to fall back on familiar brands which they derive enjoyment from, with a willingness to pay a premium price, instead of switching to cheaper alternatives.
*GlobalData’s COVID-19: COVID-19 Impact Market Model – Consumer Goods – June 5 update – value US$ *2GlobalData’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tracker Consumer Survey – Week 10 (June 3) – global – a bit/lot worse responses combined GlobalData’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tracker Consumer Survey – Week 10 (June 3) – global – *3started buying/same/more/significantly more/stockpiling responses combined, *4 buying slightly lower/significantly lower/stopped altogether responses combined Data is adjusted weekly following COVID-19 developments, therefore subject to change
A team of technical experts is helping Coca-Cola North America launch breakthrough beverages in emerging categories – from kombuchas, to cultured ciders, to keto-friendly smoothies, to cold-brew coffees – in record time.
The Transformational Innovation Team partners with brands and business units to take new drinks in unfamiliar spaces to commercialization in a handful of months. A rotating group of specialists from Research and Development (R&D), Quality, Safety & Environmental Sustainability, Technical Commercialization and Scientific and Regulatory Affairs (SRA) is helping the company navigate uncharted territory by challenging existing approaches to innovation – from sourcing and seeking approval on new ingredients, to producing beverages in emerging categories, to bringing new brands to market – through an agile, test- and-learn launch model.
“We combine the best of what entrepreneurs do and the best of what Coca-Cola does,” explains team lead Susan Zaripheh. “Entrepreneurs dream of having the power of our brands and scale of our distribution network, and large global companies like Coke want to be able to innovate quickly, iteratively and stay
competitive in emerging spaces.”
Inspiring a mindset shift
This means challenging organizational processes and breaking down boundaries. “Capability isn’t an issue at Coca-Cola,” Zaripheh says. “Our talent and people are top notch. What we’re trying to do is inspire a mindset shift and push the company into new or emerging segments consumers want us to explore.”
The Transformational Innovation Team has partnered with Minute Maid to develop several breakthrough products in 2019, including Cidewinder, which boasts similar digestive health benefits as kombucha but with less sugar. The cultured juice brand, which leveraged a novel ingredient and process from a third-party company, is being tested in grocery and convenience store outlets in Texas and California.
“Cidewinder is an example of how we’re moving quickly, but deliberately, by running small market tests before investing significant time or resources,” Zaripheh said. “Some of the brands we’re helping to launch will not reach scale, but that’s the point of what we’re doing. We’re pushing the company to move faster than ever and to use real-time market data to make informed decisions and gain important learnings for the future.”
Following the consumer
Odwalla, meanwhile, tapped Zaripheh’s team to help develop a zero-sugar, keto-friendly smoothie using trending ingredients like MCT oil and coconut cream – bringing the first-of-its-kind offering in the Coca-Cola portfolio to life in less than six months.
“Our partnership with the Transformational Innovation Team has added tremendous value to our decision making,” said John Hackett, president, Minute Maid Business Unit. “With their support, we’ve been able to test emerging spaces quickly and gain real-world learnings. Direct guidance from the market enables us to focus our investments on ideas and innovations that strongly resonate with consumers.”
The team also partnered with Honest to launch two category-crossing innovations – Honest Kombucha and Honest Cold Brew Co”ee. Honest is building a master brand beyond its core tea business and, as part of that strategy, decided in 2019 to enter the fast-growing – and complex – kombucha segment. “Part of the Honest brand’s strategy is to ‘own the fridge’ of the
Millennial family by offering lower- sugar, organic beverages for all occasions,” said Rafael Acevedo, vice president, Tea Portfolio, Coca-Cola North America. “Given the rising popularity of kombucha, it made sense for a brand known for making tea to enter this space.”
The Transformational Innovation Team helped Honest enter this space by end of the year in a limited, 20-store test, then quickly aligned on a brand proposition and execution strategy. Results are expected in early 2020.
‘Being nimble doesn’t mean cutting corners’
The teams also partnered to secure all required approvals in time to produce and ship samples of Honest Cold Brew Coffee to the Natural Products Expo East tradeshow in only 10 weeks. The brand received great feedback from attendees.
“That project was not a product development challenge – it was a regulatory and food safety challenge,” explained Zaripheh, a food scientist with a PhD in nutrition. “Low-acid beverages like coffee have significant food safety and regulatory hurdles which can take a ton of time, but we were able to do even more due diligence by taking a different approach.”
Acevedo called the collaboration “a great example of how the company is approaching innovation differently and prioritizing agility to achieve effcient results.”
However, Zaripheh insists, the team takes steps to move quickly without compromising safety or quality, or taking due-diligence shortcuts. “Being nimble doesn’t mean cutting corners… it means approaching challenges from different angles and finding ways to parallel-path and operate with flexibility,” she added. “We hear a lot about speed to market these days. But speed by itself isn’t a competitive advantage – anyone can go fast. The key is identifying potential big bets, starting small and learning before making significant investments and launching at scale. That’s what we do.”
Creating a ripple effect
This group of “intrapraneurs” is on a mission to create a ripple effect by sharing learnings with Coca-Cola North America teams leading innovation projects across the system.
“Power is not having one team dedicated to transformational innovation, but seamlessly implementing learnings and frameworks across the organization and fueling new capability to drive growth,” said Simon Yeung, SVP, Innovation and Stewardship, Coca-Cola North America, noting that the team consulted and shared learnings with the sparkling water team spearheading the AHA brand launch. “Our goal is to get the system to move faster and deliver more disruptive innovation… to take on meatier projects and platform-able ideas and bring them to life.”
12.000 apple trees the start of new sustainable agriculture
Brännland Cider to establish 10 hectares of commercially viable and productive apple orchards in collaboration with farmers, regional governments as well as national and international stakeholders from academia and business.
Bringing together these stakeholders within the agricultural sector has been ongoing since 2017 in parallel with Västerbotten-based ice cider producer Brännland Cider establishing its ciders in national and international markets.Preceded by trial orchards in the vicinity of the city of Umeå on the Baltic seaboard the company is now scaling up its ambitions.
In December 2019 the Swedish Board of Agriculture granted funding to the project “Commercial productive apple growing in a northern climate – innovation for new climate resilient agriculture in northern Europe” within the framework of EIP-agri, the European innovation partnership for productivity and sustainability within agriculture.
This is a major step in creating an entirely new and unique terroir for ice cider in northern Sweden but of course also opens up a large scope of opportunities for farmers in the north to diversify with positive implications for agriculture, regional food production, tourism and the larger sustainability issues our society as a whole faces. The project aligns to the ambitions highlighted in the EU Green Deal and 2030 UN Sustainability Development Goals, says Andreas Sundgren Graniti, founder of Brännland Cider.
The project is set to run between 2020 and 2023 and will combine traditional cultivation models with more conventional methods, trial a wide base of apple varieties to create an opportunity for northern farmers to diversify, optimize land use, decrease transports and water usage in the region and create a new branch of climate resilient sustainable agriculture. The long term aim also includes stream-lined product development partnerships from the individual farmer to local, regional and global markets.
This project will expand on and put into practice, on a commercial scale, the positive experiences Brännland Cider has made so far in our trial orchards in Burträsk 100 km north of Umeå and at Röbäcksdalen just outside Umeå. It’s not just about growing apples where none have been grown before for the purpose of creating a product of singular quality; we want to see our region blossoming and this is a huge step towards achieving that goal, continues Sundgren Graniti.
A strong team has formed around the mission. The project will be led by Daniel Pacurar from Boreal Orchards who up until now has been instrumental in contributing practical experience and academic knowledge to the trial orchards that have formed the basis for the project. Daniel is a horticultural engineer with a PhD in Agronomy and long experience in R&D and in leading large and ambitious projects within biotech, horticulture and forestry.
We are honored to partner with Brännland Cider in the pioneering work of establishing apple growing in Northern Sweden. It will be an exciting journey. We are going to learn new ways of growing apple trees, creating new terroir expressions for ice cider and generate knowledge that will benefit future generation of apple growers in the north and elsewhere. We are laying the path as we walk it. I am confident that the team´s compounded experience and expertise will secure the successful completion of this project. Brännland Cider is arguably making the best ice cider on the planet. Together we are now laying the foundation of what is going to be an evolution of that fantastic achievement, says Daniel Pacurar, Boreal Orchards.
To download the complete programme please click the image.
Erbslöh Geisenheim GmbH has issued an invitation to the latest International Juice and Fruit Wine Seminar in Rotenburg an der Fulda (Germany) on 26 and 27 March 2020. For the third time the Göbel’s Hotel Rodenberg will provide the perfect setting for specialist presentations on beverage research and process technology in fruit and vegetable processing. More than 120 experts from the fruit juice and cider industries are expected. The Rheingau company is organising the seminar in cooperation with leading processing industry suppliers and renowned applied research institutions. The programme includes a wide range of presentations on topics such as “Processing of particularly difficult apples”, “New research and analysis findings”, “Filtration”, “Fermentation”, and “Sensory aspects when manufacturing purées and citrus products”. The event will end with a moderated tasting of innovative, premium quality fruit wine products.
The International Brewing and Cider Awards announced the medal winners for 2019; certifying 133 beers and ciders as among the best in the world.
The beer medal winners ranged from small craft breweries from all corners of the globe to well-known brands such as Sierra Nevada, Samuel Adams, Camden Town, Deschutes, Fullers and Big Drop.
Meanwhile, successful cider winners included Sheppy’s. Aspall’s, Angry Orchards and Strongbow amongst many smaller craft brands from Somerset, England to Camino, Calfornia.
The competition – attracting entries from 200+ breweries and cider mills from around world – was judged by an international panel of 50 judges.
Over 1000 beers and ciders from 50 countries were submitted for judging, which took place over an intensive three-day period.
Judging categories ranged from ultra-low ABV beers to high-strength styles, showcasing the versatility and variety found in modern-day brewing.
Cider categories included different fruit varieties, hopped and ice ciders, as well as judging across sweet and dry styles.
An International Brewing & Cider Awards medal is considered among the industry’s most coveted awards.
Established in 1888 – and evolving consistently over time to reflect an ever-changing beer and cider industry – the International Brewing & Cider Awards aim to reward and recognise the innovation, attention to detail and hard work that goes into beer and cider production.
The awards will culminate with the medal presentations at London’s Guildhall, where members of the international brewing and cider-making community will come together to discover and celebrate the 2019 trophy winners.
Speaking of this year’s medal winners, Ruth Evans MBE, Director of Brewing Technology Services who oversee the awards, said: “It brings me great pleasure to announce the medal winners, and no small measure of pride to be involved in our fantastic industry. These awards are a bastion of excellence, and we are always sincerely impressed by the talent of the medal winners. With each round of awards, the standards are pushed ever higher. Competition is fierce, and receiving a medal is an achievement to be truly proud of. My congratulations to all!”
Chairman of Judging, Bill Taylor, said: “Being Chairman of Judging has been such a privilege. My thanks go out to my fellow judges, and to all those who are involved in organising these incredible awards, especially our technical installation team. We pride ourselves on ensuring that the integrity of any product submitted remains in peak condition, and that it is dispensed to our Judges at the brewers’ and cider makers’ recommended temperature. Judging and sampling the quality of entries has been a wonderful experience, and we have been blown away by the brewing and cider making talent that we have witnessed.”
Following the announcement on 25 January 2019 that Asahi Europe Ltd (AEL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan-based Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. (Asahi), has acquired the entire premium beer and cider business, including the flagship London Pride ale brand, of Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C for £250m.
Shagun Sachdeva, Consumer Insights Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view on the blockbuster deal:
“At a time when most companies are grappling with growing uncertainty over Brexit and economic uncertainty, Asahi seized the opportunity to further expand its overseas reach and have a greater distribution network on an international scale. Similar to its Japanese rivals such as Kirin Holdings Co., Suntory Holdings Ltd., and Sapporo Holdings Ltd., Asahi is facing a major down trend in the domestic market as health-conscious youth are cutting back on drinking.
“This deal expands Asahi’s brand portfolio, as Fuller’s ‘Frontier’ brand in the premium lager market and ‘Cornish Orchards’ brand in the premium cider market join the company’s previously acquired brands such as Czech market leader Pilsner Urquell, Hungary’s Dreher, Italy’s Peroni, Poland’s Tyskie and Lech, and Romania’s Ursus. Based on terms of agreement, Asahi will also receive the benefit of a license to use certain trademarks – including the ‘Fuller’s’ name, logo and cartouche – for the provision of beverages along with control of Fuller’s Griffin Brewery in London while the ownership of the licensed trademarks will be retained by Fuller’s.
“During the time of acquisition of Pilsner Urquell and other eastern European brands in 2016, the Tokyo-based brewer stated that it was looking to establish itself as a global player with premium brand portfolio. Therefore, the main driver of this deal, which is expected to complete in the first half of 2019, could be Asahi capitalizing on the heritage of Fuller’s brands and leveraging Brexit as an opportunity to earn higher margins due to cheaper exports. Most of the overseas ventures undertaken by Asahi produced mixed results and especially, since the Pilsner acquisition, it has shied away from investing elsewhere in Asia. With this deal, it would definitely secure the future of its brand.”
Applications for the 2019 International Brewing Awards and International Cider Awards are now open.
The oldest awards of their kind in the world, the International Brewing Awards were established in 1886, while the International Cider Awards began in 1901. Today the awards are often described as the most prestigious competitions of their kind in the world.
Held every two years, both awards are open to breweries and cider makers from around the globe and entries are uniquely peer reviewed by a carefully selected panel of commercially practising brewers and cider makers. Recognising the best beers and ciders in the industry, over 100 medals and trophies are awarded to winners from over 50 countries.
Consistently maintaining the highest standards throughout their collective 132 year history, great lengths are taken to ensure the ideal judging conditions and processes are in place to ensure complete anonymity. The awards encourage innovation and diversity and as such, this year sees the inclusion of new classes in The International Cider Awards, including barrel influenced cider. Believed to be the only international awards to do so, judging classes within styles are also differentiated by alcoholic strength.
Ruth Evans MBE, Director of Brewing Technology Services, said:
“Presiding over one of the world’s most prestigious and longest running international beer and cider awards, is a great privilege.
“We pride ourselves on the high standards and the integrity of the judging, by only working with cider making professionals. We will shortly be announcing an impressive line-up of judges for both awards, which will once again be headed up by industry stalwart, Bill Taylor, formerly of LION.”
Commenting on both awards, Chairman of Judging, Bill Taylor, said:
“These awards continue to evolve with industry changes and it is my role to ensure the tradition of high professional standards continues.
“My advice to the judging panel is always to “only award those entries on which they would be prepared to stake their future success”. We are now looking forward to announcing the judging line up in the coming weeks.”
Both award entries close on 1st February 2019 with the medal winners being announced on March 8th 2019.
About International Cider Awards
The International Ciders Awards were reintroduced, as an international recognition of excellence in cider production in 2013.
An award is a recognition by fellow professional cider makers that a cider is an outstanding commercial example of its style. The competition was first established in 1901 and since then has evolved to reflect the changing global market for cider.
The superb technical installation including cider in bottle, can, bag in box, cask and keg ensures integrity of product, dispensed to the judges at the cider maker’s recommended temperature.
Stewards are trained to ensure integrity of pour and dispense to the judges and all judges are currently practising cider makers from around the world. With seven categories, leading to a Supreme Cider Champion, linked to the consumer experience, there is a place for every cider, with every cider having a chance of winning – even those new or innovative variations on styles.
International trade show for production, storage and marketing of apples
Bolzano, 15 – 17 November 2018
With its motto “Bolzano loves apples”, Interpoma, the only international trade show dedicated to the apple, from November 15 to 17 will be welcoming guests from all over the world with a program of events and themed initiatives outside the trade show and across the whole city. Bolzano, as the international capital of the apple, will itself be turned into a true “big apple” during this period.
Interpoma 2018, the two-yearly international trade show dedicated entirely to the apple sector, is scheduled for November 15 to 17 this year at the Bolzano trade show center: there will be a special program of evening events, themed exhibitions and tastings of apple-derived products, featuring numerous enterprises from right across the city, including restaurants and hotels, as well as bars, bakeries and confectioners.
Interpoma is a major event capable of attracting 20,000 visitors to Bolzano from over 70 countries around the world and, with 500 enterprises present, makes South Tyrol a unique market place for the apple sector. With its program “Bolzano loves Apples”, Interpoma offers guests a unique sensory experience for their business trip that can be enjoyed all over the city.
Origins: an exhibition between past, present and future
Interpoma 2018 invites visitors on a journey through the history of the apple, with an exhibition that shows the origins of the apple in Kazakhstan, explains new possibilities for refining and processing, and offers a view of the technologies of the future.
Interpoma Taste
For the first time, Interpoma will this year feature an area inside the pavilion where visitors can taste apple-derived products and much more besides. The Laimburg Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry is presenting innovative apple juices, with tastings and judgings of ciders arranged by its Evaluation Lab. VOG PRODUCTS, the producer of natural ingredients for the food and beverage industry, will put the focus on apple juice, with a special section dedicated to “Pink Lady” products; while, in partnership with Red Rooster farm holidays, the Ausserloretzhof and Gasserhof farms and the Knöspele distillery will be presenting their natural products based upon ancient and traditional recipes, such as preserves and liquors.
The apple in the city
The entire city of Bolzano will for three days dedicate itself to the fruit that symbolizes the regions of Trentino and South Tyrol. In partnership with the Association of Hoteliers and Restaurateurs (HGV), the Unione HDS and BZ Heartbeat, 30 hotels and restaurants and 20 bakeries and confectioners in Bolzano are preparing apple-based menus and specialties for the entire duration of the event.
Interpoma Delicious Events
Trade shows are places to meet and do business, but they also represent an opportunity to get to know new cultures and taste the culinary delights of the host territory. For the opening night on Thursday, November 15, Interpoma is organizing the Golden Delicious Night at the on-site Forst Season restaurant; a “golden” night for locals, but also a chance for enterprises to dine with their customers or meet each other in an elegant and pleasant environment.
Then, on the evening of Friday, November 16, two parties will be held at the Bolzano exhibition center; one, “Rouge et Noir”, is organized by the Forst Season restaurant, while the other will be staged at the Hotel Four Points by Sheraton.
The new cold-tolerant hybrid strains developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland enable fermentation at lower and higher temperatures than before. Production at lower temperature reduces the risk of contamination and possibly allows reduction of the use of sulphates. Modulating temperatures can be used to fine-tune product aroma.
In 2015 VTT generated the first new lager brewing yeast strains in 500 years, and has now applied the knowledge obtained to create new yeast strains for the production of wine and cider. A key characteristic of these strains is that they can tolerate a wide range of temperatures from 10 to 37 °C. Importantly, the low temperature range reduces the risk of contamination during fermentation, possibly allowing for reduced sulphate use.
The tolerance to higher temperatures facilitates large-scale production in active dry yeast form. The wines and ciders produced with these strains are characterized by an increased aromatic complexity.
The ability of a yeast strain to ferment efficiently at low temperature is a desired feature in alcoholic fermentation. Cold fermentations have been used for centuries in the production of lager beer with the lager yeast Saccharomyces pastorianus. The ability of this species to ferment at low temperature is a result of it being a hybrid between an ale yeast and the cold-tolerant wild yeast Saccharomyces eubayanus.
Scientists at VTT have now demonstrated that this combination of parents can also be effectively used for wine and cider fermentations. A wine yeast strain was crossed with the cold-tolerant parent of the lager yeast and the hybrids were tested for cider and wine fermentation.
The results showed that due to the wider range of temperatures tolerated by these species the aromatic properties of the cider and wine can be modulated by varying the fermentation temperature. White wine and cider, for example, benefit from low-temperature fermentations, both for reduced risk of contamination but also for an improved aromatic profile. Undesirable flavours that are typical of the wild parent are eliminated after hybridization and large-scale production is facilitated.
This natural, non-GM approach can be used for tailor-made generation of new strains by careful selection of the parent strains with desirable features. After being successfully applied to beer, wine and cider production, this technique is now being assessed for its use in the baking industry, where yeast must survive for extended periods in frozen dough.
The following organizations have funded the research: EU’s Marie Curie ITN Yeastcell-project, Academy of Finland and Alfred Kordelin Foundation.
References: Krogerus, K., Magalhães, F., Vidgren, V. & Gibson, B. (2015) New lager yeast strains generated by interspecific hybridization. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10295-015-1597-6 Magalhães F, Krogerus K, Vidgren V, Sandell M & Gibson B. (2017) Improved cider fermentation performance and quality with newly generated Saccharomyces cerevisiae × Saccharomyces eubayanus hybrids. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10295-017-1947-7 Magalhães F, Krogerus K, Castillo S, Ortiz-Julien A, Dequin S & Gibson B. (2017) Exploring the potential of Saccharomyces eubayanus as a parent for new interspecies hybrid strains in winemaking. FEMS Yeast Research. DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/fox049
The new cold-tolerant hybrid strains developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland enable fermentation at lower and higher temperatures than before. Production at lower temperature reduces the risk of contamination and possibly allows reduction of the use of sulphates. Modulating temperatures can be used to fine-tune product aroma.
In 2015 VTT generated the first new lager brewing yeast strains in 500 years, and has now applied the knowledge obtained to create new yeast strains for the production of wine and cider. A key characteristic of these strains is that they can tolerate a wide range of temperatures from 10 to 37 °C. Importantly, the low temperature range reduces the risk of contamination during fermentation, possibly allowing for reduced sulphate use.
The tolerance to higher temperatures facilitates large-scale production in active dry yeast form. The wines and ciders produced with these strains are characterized by an increased aromatic complexity.
The ability of a yeast strain to ferment efficiently at low temperature is a desired feature in alcoholic fermentation. Cold fermentations have been used for centuries in the production of lager beer with the lager yeast Saccharomyces pastorianus. The ability of this species to ferment at low temperature is a result of it being a hybrid between an ale yeast and the cold-tolerant wild yeast Saccharomyces eubayanus.
Scientists at VTT have now demonstrated that this combination of parents can also be effectively used for wine and cider fermentations. A wine yeast strain was crossed with the cold-tolerant parent of the lager yeast and the hybrids were tested for cider and wine fermentation.
The results showed that due to the wider range of temperatures tolerated by these species the aromatic properties of the cider and wine can be modulated by varying the fermentation temperature. White wine and cider, for example, benefit from low-temperature fermentations, both for reduced risk of contamination but also for an improved aromatic profile. Undesirable flavours that are typical of the wild parent are eliminated after hybridization and large-scale production is facilitated.
This natural, non-GM approach can be used for tailor-made generation of new strains by careful selection of the parent strains with desirable features. After being successfully applied to beer, wine and cider production, this technique is now being assessed for its use in the baking industry, where yeast must survive for extended periods in frozen dough.
The following organizations have funded the research: EU’s Marie Curie ITN Yeastcell-project, Academy of Finland and Alfred Kordelin Foundation.
References:
Krogerus, K., Magalhães, F., Vidgren, V. & Gibson, B. (2015) New lager yeast strains generated by interspecific hybridization. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10295-015-1597-6
Magalhães F, Krogerus K, Vidgren V, Sandell M & Gibson B. (2017) Improved cider fermentation performance and quality with newly generated Saccharomyces cerevisiae × Saccharomyces eubayanus hybrids. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10295-017-1947-7
Magalhães F, Krogerus K, Castillo S, Ortiz-Julien A, Dequin S & Gibson B. (2017) Exploring the potential of Saccharomyces eubayanus as a parent for new interspecies hybrid strains in winemaking. FEMS Yeast Research. DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/fox049
WILD Flavors & Specialty Ingredients (WFSI), a business unit of Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), will be at this year’s SIAL trade fair in Paris, where they will present appealing vegan soy drinks and Fruit&Veggie concepts, to name only a few. They will also be featuring contemporary carbotanicals as well as new cider mixes and still drinks. All of these product ideas have one thing in common: they are based on WFSI’s great-taste expertise, and they satisfy consumer demand for natural products.
Vegan products: new concepts that drive developments in the beverage market
The growth rate for new launches among vegan foods and drinks reached 400 % between 2011 and 2015.1 This shows that vegan diets have established themselves in society around the world, and there are no signs of the trend reversing. Manufacturers who want to take advantage of these developments can sample the new soy drink concepts by WFSI in Paris. This generation of vegan power drinks is vegan and lactose-free, contains protein and important B vitamins, and is energizing. Last but not least, they will win people over with their tempting and aromatic flavor profiles, which are available in banana, chocolate and strawberry.
Cider: unfiltered, refreshing, different
To generate new impetus on the market for alcoholic flavored beverages, WFSI took the idea of unfiltered flavored beer concepts and transferred it to cider, thus creating a brand new kind of refreshment for adults. Tangy cider drinks with hints of popular citrus flavors like lemon and grapefruit contain 5 % fruit juice and 2 % alcohol. They are fruitier and less sweet than classic cider beverages, making them an attractive alternative to flavored beers.
Botanicals: fruity refreshment with a spicy and aromatic note
Carbonated soft drinks are the second-largest beverage category after water. The market is largely saturated, however, which means new inspiration is needed. At SIAL, WFSI is presenting a new concept which incorporates popular flavors while also creating buzz with unexpected flavor accents. The Carbotanicals which WFSI has developed with popular kinds of fruit will draw in new customers, and these drinks also offer a pleasant surprise with a spicy-aromatic hint that comes from natural extracts of well- known kinds of herbs. Trade-fair visitors are welcome to come to the booth in Paris and try an elegantly-balanced combination of red berries with basil.
Fruit & veggie: juicy, fruity, refreshing
Eating vegetables of all kinds is more popular than ever, and it corresponds to people’s desire for a healthy lifestyle. This is the perfect market opportunity for juices and still drinks with an added touch of vegetables. In response to the current demand for health and wellness products, WFSI’s portfolio includes fruit&veggie still drinks such as orange- pumpkin-ginger or beet-strawberry. They contain a harmonious blend of fruit and vegetable juices and are also available as a low-calorie option with steviol glycosides. At SIAL, those who like their drinks “juicier” can turn to WFSI’s concepts with a high juice content, including beverages with 50 % each fruit and vegetable juices, products enhanced with blossoms, or not-from-concentrate (NFC) juices.
The growth rate for new launches among vegan foods and drinks reached 400 % between 2011 and 2015.1 This shows that vegan diets have established themselves in society around the world, and there are no signs of the trend reversing. Manufacturers who want to take advantage of these developments can sample the new soy drink concepts by WFSI in Paris. This generation of vegan power drinks is vegan and lactose-free, contains protein and important B vitamins, and is energizing. Last but not least, they will win people over with their tempting and aromatic flavor profiles, which are available in banana, chocolate and strawberry.
ed combination of red berries with basil.