Westons Caple Road is a craft cider in a can

English cider producer H Weston & Sons is launching what it claims is the first craft cider in a can with eye-catching branding designed by BOS Design (Brand on Shelf Design) in Cheltenham.

Caple Rd Cider will be available with an RRP of £4/can from February in premium on-trade outlets, and is named after the road which approaches Westons site in the Herefordshire village of Much Marcle. The 5.2% abv sparkling cider uses fresh English apple juice and is matured for up to 18 months in oak to give a refined, full-bodied, amber-coloured cider. Caple Rd is being produced in small batches to “ensure consistent quality and its unique craft characteristics”.

The launch comes amidst a huge consumer trend for craft beers, with followers looking increasingly towards: premium drinks that have: a point of difference; traceability of ingredients; and artisanship. Canned beer has also made a comeback through the craft beer evolution, with cans protecting liquids better from light, while also being airtight and, therefore, keeping the product fresher for longer.

Caple Rd is aimed at craft beer drinkers, as well as young professionals who seek different drinking experiences and for whom provenance and authenticity is key. Caple Rd is expected to expand the offer in premium urban bars where both quality cask ales and premium packaged lager dominate.

Guy Lawrence, Caple Rd cider-maker, is the fifth generation of the Weston family, which has been making cider at the same site in Much Marcle, Herefordshire, since 1880.

He says: “Great ciders are in my blood, and Caple Rd is no different. I will only use the finest yeast and bittersweet apple juice available. Caple Rd has been designed to challenge cider-makers’ palettes, with its dark straw colour, notes of leather on the nose, and robust oaky taste. Its slow fermentation and up to 18 months’ maturation produces a highly complex, full-bodied cider.”

Geoff Bradman, Westons head of sales, says: “The canned craft beer category has seen huge growth over the last couple of years, yet so far no one has launched a craft cider in a can. Early feedback from our research on Caple Rd has been absolutely phenomenal from both the trade and consumers, so we are delighted to be launching it this month and bringing some genuine innovation to the market.”

Henry Westons is one of H. Westons & Sons’ heritage brands. The company makes a broad range of ciders for the premium cider sector with its other key brand groups including Stowford Press, Wyld Wood Organic Cider and Old Rosie.

Henry Westons last month announced that it was giving its entire range a fresh new look, to appeal to a broader consumer group while reinforcing its premium positioning. 

Westons ciders are now widely available throughout the UK as well as in over 40 countries globally. 

31 January 2015 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor