Woodchuck Hard Cider
Woodchuck Hard Cider is a brand of hard cider produced by the Vermont Hard Cider Company, LLC in Middlebury, Vermont.[1] In 2011 it was the top-selling hard cider in the United States,[2] with approximately 47% of the hard cider market there.[3] On October 23, 2012, Woodchuck Hard Cider was purchased by Irish beverage company C&C Group for $305 million.[4] Woodchuck was originally started at The Joseph Cerniglia Winery, Cavendish, VT, in 1991 by Joe Cerniglia and Barry Blake, along with wine maker Greg Failing.
Varieties
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All Woodchuck ciders are naturally gluten-free because the product is made from apples only, without any grains.[5] The company sells several types of cider under the Woodchuck name, including core flavors, limited releases, and private reserve styles.
Core styles
- Amber – American Commercial Hard Cider
- Granny Smith – Hard cider with Granny Smith flavoring added
- Pear – Hard cider with pear flavoring added
- Raspberry – Hard cider with raspberry flavoring added
- Hopsation – Hard cider made with cascade hops[6]
- Gumption – combines juice of common eating apples with dry cider apples
Limited releases
Woodchuck has seasonal cider varieties which are released according to time of year:
- Summer – more tart than Amber cider, with blueberry juice added[7]
- Fall – flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and white oak
- Winter – a combination of "Premium French" and "Traditional American Oak"[8]
- Spring - contains notes of maple syrup and brown sugar.[9] In August 2014, Woodchuck's Twitter feed said that this flavor had been discontinued but might return in the future.[10]
Private reserves
- In the fall of 2010, the company started to produce a limited run of pumpkin hard cider each year, which they claim as the world's first pumpkin cider.[5]
- Barrel Select private reserve is hard cider that combines the taste of cider with the taste of Kentucky bourbon.[11]
- Woodchuck Belgian White was introduced in 2012 as a cider that uses Belgian beer yeast.[12]
Woodchuck Holidays
Woodchuck has promoted "Woodchuck Wednesdays," encouraging consumers to enjoy a Woodchuck on the day. Woodchuck has also dubbed 2 February "Woodchuck Day" in honor of Groundhog Day (since woodchuck is another name for a groundhog).[13]
References
- ↑ Nason, Adam (5 August 2011). "Green Mountain Beverage unveils new company name". beernews.org. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ↑ Becker, Maki (27 August 2011). "Mayer Bros. hard cider soured by lawsuit". Buffalo News. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
- ↑ Schultz, E.J. (28 November 2011). "Cider Seen as Next 'Craft' Brew as Sales Climb 25% This Year". Advertising Age. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ↑ Scott, Mark (23 October 2012). "Owner of Woodchuck Cider Approves Sale to Irish Rival". Dealbook. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- 1 2 "Woodchuck Hard Cider Unveils First EVER Pumpkin Cider" (Press release). PRLog. 7 September 2010. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
- ↑ "Woodchuck Crisp gets its own 6-pack" (Press release). beerpulse.com. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ↑ "Woodchuck Limited Edition Summer Cider" (Press release). worldclassbeer.com. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ↑ "Limited Releases". woodchuck.com. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ↑ Woodchuck Spring Cider
- ↑ Woodchuck Cider on Twitter: "@Kenc05 Yes, we are making way for many new ciders to come. It doesn't mean that they won't return in the future."
- ↑ "Private Reserves". woodchuck.com. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ↑ "Woodchuck Cider Announces Belgian White, a Private Reserve Cider" (Press release). brewhound.com. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ↑ "Woodchuck Holidays". Retrieved 4 February 2012.
Further reading
- Flowers, John (21 November 2011). "Cider company plans big expansion". Addison County Independent. Retrieved 24 November 2011. External link in
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(help) - Bullard, Gina (7 November 2011). "Woodchuck gets back to basics". Wcax.com. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
- Thurston, Jack (14 November 2011). "Vt. Beverage Maker Goes 'Green' With Brown Bottles". Wptz.com. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
External links
- Woodchuck Draft Cider
- Woodchuck Hard Cider on Facebook
- Woodchuck Draft Cider Reviews