Cider may not ring a bell for many but that does not stop this peppy drink from making its presence felt among alcoholic beverages in the Indian market.
CHANDIGARH: Cider may not ring a bell for many in India but that does not stop this peppy drink from making its presence felt among alcoholic beverages in the country's markets.
Coming from a 2,000-year-old tradition of an alcoholic but healthy drink, cider is made from fresh apples and has emerged as a style-drink in party circles in the US and Europe. It has now made an entry into India too.
Cashing on this renewed interest of people in cider, an Indian manufacturer has launched 'Tempest' cider brand from Himachal Pradesh, also known as the apple state of India.
"In recent years, there has been a renaissance of interest in cider drinking, both in America and Europe. So Indian shores could not have remained untouched for long," cider manufacturer Dinesh Gupta, who launched Tempest recently said.
"This is an amazing drink. It is smooth and fresh and also gives you slight kick, which is welcome," said Guneet Chaudhary, a former army major whose Green Valley cidery is located in Shongi in Shimla hills, over 100 km from here.
Gupta said his company uses fresh apples from the hill state's apple belt and processes them in a state-of-the-art plant set up with Italian manufacturer Della-Taffola's machinery.
"We use natural spring water of the Shimla hills for our product. Quality and hygiene is ensured in the brewing vessels and the unique flavour of fresh apples is retained as the product is unpasteurised," Gupta says.
Tempest is currently eyeing the younger generation in metros and large cities. Cider is extensively used by bartenders for making cocktails as this highly carbonated drink is low on bitterness and leaves no after-taste. "This makes it popular among women too," Gupta claims.
Even in a smaller city like Chandigarh, sales of cider have crossed 1,500 cases per month for Gupta's company. The drink is now being commonly sold by liquor and wine shops across the country.
Foreign tourists visiting Goa, Jaipur and Dharamsala seem to have lapped up the drink in recent months.
Despite a high eight percent alcoholic content, cider is considered healthier than beer because it does not leave you with a potbelly and higher cholesterol levels. In fact in China, people drink cider along with their meal due to its digestive properties.
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