Scottish & Newcastle
UK, 5% ABV
 
In the summer of 2006, something very strange happened: the sun came out for more than an hour and Britain melted. Hot and bothered drinkers turned to new and exciting beverage offerings – and millions of them bought pint glasses filled with Magners and enough ice to sink the Titanic. The ice age all came together perfectly in the balmy, sweaty heat of summer 2006, backed, it has to be said, by an aggressive marketing campaign. But one set of cider drinkers did not have their heads turned by that newfangled caper and they were the Strongbow drinkers – dedicated fans of an altogether earthier appley goodness. S&N have clearly spotted this, and introduced a kind of halfway house between Magners and Strongbow – a Frankenstein’s monster called Strongbow Cirrus. The problem is that Cirrus is so watery, and so far removed from the original Strongbow brand that it actually tastes sweet. Sweet Strongbow, I ask you! Oh cruel, cruel fate, to be tempted by the green-eyed monster into making sub-par cider, which, in financial terms, may well unfortunately have some lasting effect on the original beautiful golden nectar. I mean, there’s got to have been some extra money pumped into marketing the stuff, and where is that going to come from? God help them if they end up damaging the original Strongbow brand – I know some of those dedicated Strongbow drinkers, and there’s no doubt they’ll fight a good fight. SG