Hi, there.

Cody and I just got back from CiderCon in Chicago. (Think Craft Brewers Conference but for cideries.) 

We were there giving a presentation on how cideries can use Brand Architecture to scale their brands. And we had a great time — we met a few clients and friends, discussed several new projects and drank loads of lovely cider from all over the world. 

Today, I want to discuss a handful of topics we heard at the conference as well as what we’re seeing in our hard cider branding work as of late. 

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The last time we discussed hard cider here on BBT, we received some push back because we wrote about it through the lens of breweries making cider as a fourth category beverage. 

This push back — really from just a few folks — came entirely from people who work in cider. I think they were offended that I suggested an outsider make cider.

Point taken. 

I’ll keep today’s thoughts more broadly applicable, so the pommeliers out there get as much out of this as the brewers. 

Good? Let’s get to it.

(Above): Shoutout to Shacksbury Cider out of Vermont. This outfit always has super fun package design. 

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1

On apples and provenance ( Does this scale? Does it have to? )

Provenance has always been an important value prop in craft beverage.

And cider has a leg up on beer in this regard because you can point to physical orchards  — and trees and dirt and bees and baskets and tractors and old farm dogs, all of it — to tell your story. 

This is wonderful. So if you have it, and if it suits your positioning, flaunt it. 

Anything that gives consumers a frame of reference for why your products are different should be explored. 

However, the current winners in cider — Schilling, Blake’s, Two Towns, Angry Orchard, et al. — don’t hang their hats on this exclusively. It’s certainly a part of their story, where relevant, but looking at their packaging shows a broader focus on CPG beverage cues. Namely, fruit and flavor and personality and vibes.

Cider brands that are crushing it right now are — similar to beer and RTDs and FMBs — leading with their brand and flavor above all else. 

This is an important trend to keep in mind if your cidery (or brewery) is thinking through how to appeal to a broader audience. Going broader means a bigger potential audience that is already drinking across category. So meet them where they are.

(Above): Schilling and Blake's fully (and successfully) embrace the CPG aesthetic over artisanal provenance. 

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2

Who’s drinking hard cider? 

Broad brush time: A cider drinker is:

– Someone who drinks across category (beer, cider, NA, spirits, RTDs, etc.)

– Fairly gender neutral (though proportionately attracting more women than men compared to beer)

– More health conscious (not always, but generally)

– Someone who drinks cider for a health reason (gluten-free or reduced, etc.)

– Someone who enjoys flavor and sensory experience 

– Young-ish: Cider could reach LDA Gen Z folks as well as Millennials (and Gen Xers)

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Findings from CODO field work (anecdotal) 

One of my favorite things to do when in a brewery taproom — whether for work or pleasure — is to ask servers and bartenders what they see people order most often. 

This is anecdotal, but it seems like every time I ask someone this question (when they serve cider), they mention it as a crowd favorite. Here are a collection of quotes I’ve gathered from recent rebrand kickoff interviews:

– “Wine drinkers gravitate towards our cider [because we don’t serve wine].”

– “We see a lot of wives order it. And gluten-free folks, of course.”

– “We actually see a lot of younger guys order it, particularly our dry cider.”

– “It’s [cider] a great answer to the question, “What do you have that isn’t beer?”

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There’s an overlap with beer drinkers here. But don’t make the mistake of viewing your audience as monolithic. People have different tastes and preferences, and hard cider can be a great addition (particularly in the on-premise) if you’re not already making it.

(Above): Check out our AleSmith Hard Cider case study for a good look at how. brewery can step into this segment. And here's a companion podcast with Brandon and Kristen for more background context on why AleSmith felt right now was the time to get into cider. 

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3

On Brand Architecture ( How should your cider relate, or not relate, to your parent brand?) 

This point is specific to breweries, or any non-cider concern that is considering entering the category. 

If you’re looking to launch a cider line, you've got several strategic options to consider. You could launch it as…

– A Brand Extension 

– A Sub Brand

– An Endorsed Brand

– An entirely new brand 

The choice here largely depends on your parent brand’s equity and positioning as well as your target market. If your brewery has strong recognition and trust, leveraging that existing brand might make sense. However, if you're targeting a distinctly different audience or want to avoid any potential confusion with your beer offerings, a separate brand might be the better path.

If you’ve been reading BBT for a while, none of this will be new to you. But here are a few refresher links on these topics, in case you’re actively planning a new brand launch:

– The role of your parent brand in Brand Architecture

– Brand Extensions vs. Sub Brands

– Sub Brands vs Endorsed Brands 

– Are fanciful named beers Sub Brands?

– Is a House of Brands right for your brewery?

(Above): Our Beverage Extension Assessment Tool (B.E.A.T.) is a purpose-built diagnostic quiz for positioning, branding and launching your next beverage. 

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4

On cider’s Gluten Free claim 

This value prop comes up every single time we work on a cider brand.

And I understand why. For people who are cutting back, or actually unable to ingest gluten, this is  a critical differentiator. 

And as we explored last time [LINK], the gluten free claim punches far above its weight and can cast a broader halo effect over the rest of your brand — Oh, this is gluten free. That must mean this is healthier than these other brands.

A caution: Mind the positioning trap

Positioning boils down to 3 main points: 

– What do you do / offer / make? 

– For whom (who is your intended audience?)

– And how you are meaningfully differentiated from your competition?

Your goal as a cider (or beer, spirits, XYZ beverage) brand is to land in the top 2 or 3 spots in someone’s head for a given category. 

Example: What brand comes to mind when you think of Non Alcoholic beer? How about canned water? How about hard tea? 

(YMMV depending on where you’re located, but if you’re here in America, I bet you answered Athletic, Liquid Death and Twisted Tea.)

From a consumer standpoint, positioning is how people categorize you in their mind. We can’t remember the names and differences between hundreds of options. We can’t even do that with dozens of options, it’s just not how we’re wired. (For fun, try to name 12 shampoo brands. I’ll wait.)

So we look for meaningful points of differentiation—story, value props, and how your brand will help me self-actualize and help me shape my own identity — as a way to categorize brands in our head. 

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Back to gluten now…

If you lead with a gluten-free claim, that's exactly how people will categorize your brand. Not whatever story you're telling, or how your packaging looks, but as a gluten-free product. 

And here's where we need to think strategically about audience size and industry direction. Leading cider brands are increasingly positioning themselves with broader, more mainstream CPG approaches. They're speaking to wider audiences about lifestyle, taste and occasions — not hanging their hat on niche attributes.

When we look at audience size:

– Those who medically require gluten-free products represent a dedicated, but small segment

– Health-conscious consumers who prefer gluten-free options make up a larger, but still limited audience

– The total addressable market for cider drinkers is significantly larger than both these segments combined

This doesn't mean you should ignore the gluten-free attribute — it is still valuable (see the halo effect idea above). But consider it as part of your broader story rather than your primary positioning.

Think of it as a supporting proof point that reinforces your larger brand narrative, rather than the narrative itself.

Remember: Positioning is one of the most important ongoing exercises you engage in. While having unique claims like gluten-free can be tempting to lead with, make sure you're not inadvertently limiting your brand's potential by focusing too narrowly. 

The question isn't just "Can we claim this?" but rather "Does this claim help us reach and resonate with our largest possible audience?"

(Above): Not sure of the veracity here, but I've always loved this claim on Angry Orchard's packaging. Gives people a clear frame of reference for why they should buy the product. 

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Where does hard cider go from here?

If you’ve listened to the BBT podcast, or seen us on stage at a conference, or taken a peek inside our office kegerator, you know how bullish CODO is on hard cider. I believe broader Bev Alc and consumer trends point to some bright days ahead for this segment. 

We see nothing but runway here (and actively shifting format rules, regulations and tax structures will make this more compelling in the immediate term as well).

With consumers increasingly seeking variety across category, cider is perfectly positioned for growth.

The key to success will be maintaining cider's craft credentials while making it more accessible and appealing to mainstream consumers — in more of a broader CPG play. Brands that can balance tradition with innovation, while delivering clear, compelling brand stories, will be best positioned to capture this growth.