As you might have guessed, I do enjoy a glass of cider and a bit like Gin, cider has moved on from being that Strongbow or White Lightening you might once have drunk in your teens! I was kindly sent this beautiful set from Cranes Cider, a brand I wasn't that familiar with, but one which is widely available online and in supermarkets.
Cranes was founded by twin brothers Ben & Dan Ritsema, who discovered, whilat being at university, just how much sugar went into the fruit ciders which were readily available on the market. So having decided to do something about it, they went on to launch a healthier alternative - Cranes Cider.
Ben and Dan worked relentlessly on the recipe to get it right, they use and source a selection of the finest British apples which includes the likes of Dabinett, Harry Masters and Jonagold to name a few, by choosing the finest fruit, Ben and Dan believe you get a better understanding of how they are produced and it ultimately leads to a refreshing crisp cider and one which has 30% fewer calories and over 40% less sugar compared to brand leaders.
Inside the giftset, as you can see, is a Cranes Cider printed Glass to enjoy your drink in and then with it three bottles of cider in the flavours Blueberries & Apples, Cranberries & Limes and Raspberries & Pomegranates.
First out of the box I tried the Blueberries & Apples Cider and I was really surprised at how refreshing this tasted, it might have a lot less sugar than other brands, but what this or the other two flavours don't have is that odd aftertaste left in your mouth. There is most definitely the taste of fresh apples which you notice immediately and then in the background is a hint of blueberry, but thankfully it doesn't overshadow the taste.
Second was the Raspberries and Pomegranate and this is my favourite of the three. Again, really refreshing to enjoy over but and quite sweet but I really like the tartness of the raspberries against the pomegranate, together the two work really well and you would never guess there is less sugar to be consumed because again, no odd aftertaste.
Finally we have Cranberries and Limes and this one for me wasn't as sweet as the other two but it is definitely refreshing and much more dry than the other two. A Cider that you can enjoy all year round and tastes just as soon over ice as it does straight out of the bottle.
If you know of someone who is a fan of cider, then this makes a really nice gift and you can find Cranes in pretty much every supermarket both online and in store. If you are an Amazon shopper, then Cranes have their very own store on there, from which you make purchases including this exact gift set for just £16.99 here*.