Strongbow, Heineken‘s flagship cider has hit the Slovak market. The Dutch brewer announced that the most popular cider in the world will also be produced in Slovakia.
Since the end of January, Strongbow is being produced in the Heineken Slovensko company´s Hurbanovo brewery. Strongbow will be supplied to six markets in Central and Eastern Europe, including Slovakia, from Hurbanovo. This means that Hurbanovo has become the first brewery in the Heineken concern worldwide which, in addition to producing beer, will also cover the production of cider, and also the third production site in the world to produce Strongbow.
“Heineken Slovensko is no longer just a beer company but also the significant producer of cider for our whole region,“ said Odin Goedhart, the Managing Director of the Heineken Slovensko company in a press release.
Strongbow is the most popular cider in the world with a market share of 14 per cent. The drink produced in Hurbanovo is being supplied to markets in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Austria and Croatia, in addition to Slovakia.
Cider is popular among younger consumers who get to know this product abroad and are searching for it upon their return. In recent years, several companies and brands launched their cider products on Slovak market.
Within domestic players, Cider Strongapple from Pivovar Steiger was the first Slovak cider, according to Euromonitor International.
Heineken is the world’s leading cider maker, based on its number-one position in the UK – the world’s largest cider market – and market positions in countries such as Finland, the Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Canada and the United States.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article written by László Juhász.
