What is it with putting ice cubes in cider?

Question

When I were a lad, cider was the reserve for beareded middle aged, pot bellied men in shorts, socks and sandals. They would potter down to their garden sheds down the bottom of the garden and enjoy a pint of their scrumpy.

Today: Put in the ice cubes in the same pi$$ and Hey Presto !!!!

It is now the new cool designer drink that is pointing the modern trendy young generation of today into a new dazzling direction.

Answer 1

Unfortunately most of todays bottled ciders are a poor chemical blend of what their producers believe youngsters want to drink today ie:a different tasting fizzy cold lager.It is an advertising ploy because most teenagers would not enjoy real cider as firstly it is associated with middle aged pot bellied men etc.and more importantly it is usually of a strength that is not condusive to session drinking unless you have years of practice.When was the last time you saw anyone putting a slice of lime in the top of a bottle of cheap imported fizzy beer?

Answer 2

Indeed, I've been drinking cider before they decided to 'market' it.

Now I feel like I'm following a trend. I SET the trend, dammit!

I make a point of not drinking Magners.

Answer 3

i dont like cider

Answer 4

Ice cubes help prevent dehydration

Answer 5

My son-in-law does it, ice in his cider, he enjoys it!

Just another generation I guess! lol

Answer 6

You are only talking about one brand of cider, the bottled variety that is advertised by pouring over ice...  A very powerful and suggestive advert, appealing to the natural instinct for a refreshing drink.  Unfortunately it is a dangerous, addictive drug that is directly attributed to nearly 50,000 deaths a year in this country alone, and that is not to mention the endless suffering it causes....

  Should we be allowed to air such powerful advertising where teenagers and even children can be influenced?  We see adults seduced by it every day in the pub!  Adding ice to cider!  

  Scares the pants off me mate, lost a good friend this year after his liver failed him, 35 years old...  Shouldn't be that way...

  Ban advertising alcohol, spend the money on educating young people about the dangers instead.

Answer 7

Nothing to do with advertising - Cider is a nice cool, refreshing drink for a sunny day! Always has been!

Great with ice :-P Refreshes the parts lagers can't reach.

Answer 8

I think thats basically it, advertising... I work in a bar and people always ask for ice cubes in their cider..But only 1 or 2 ice cubes lol so it's not really making it any cooler, hmm!

Answer 9

2 make it cooler -x

Answer 10

Well if it taste's good, you can't blame anything else for it..and it doe4s..:)

Time's change... :/

Answer 11

Its the hyperdemic needle effect.

We see something constently, it will have an affect on us.

Everything comes in and out of fasion. Companys will do anything to get money. If they see something is popular, they will do whatever they can to gain money from it.

Plus, it has a sweet taste and it like how a coke will always taste better cold and with ice.

Answer 12

You've answered your own question there

Answer 13

I know what you mean,give me a bottle of Merrydown triple vintage anyday,(hic)

Answer 14

I think u answered your own question the power of advertising is strong these days and you could sell anything using the TV.

Cider is refreshing cold tho and thats the only reason i would put the cubes in, however it tastes wrong when the cubes melt.

Answer 15

The answer is quite simple really. In Ireland, large bottles of Bulmers (known Internationally as Magners, as there are copyright issues in the UK) have been served in pint glasses, filled with Ice for almost 20 years. A trend that increased in Ireland over the years, initially as most under age drinkers drank Cider and continued with it as their choice of drink when they reached 18. In addition, unprecidented levels of advertising for Cider and in particular the addition of Ice both appealed to a younger and much larger market and made huge gains during the present sway in traditional drinking patterns.

Magners then swept the UK market place 2 years ago. Claiming a huge % of the market. The competition quickly followied, marketing their Cider with Ice.

Im sure the Cider people will tell you there is extra carbonation in their bottled cider to allow the ice to chill the drink without effecting the taste. I think they are more than aware that the best way to enjoy a bottle of cider or indeed any carbonated drink with Ice is to DRINK IT QUICKLY. What more would you want from your consumer huh???

I wouldnt call it a gimmick though. A gimmick is when the likes of Carona Mexican Beer convinced us all to put a wedge of lime in the bottle for taste when in fact in mexico they wipe the bottle with it to keep flies away from the beer.

I hate cider.

Answer 16

I drink cider, and for me it's kinda of an acceptable drink (ie. a pint, rather than a 'girly drink'), but one that tastes alot nicer than lagers. As for the particular brands which you're thinking of - Magners and Bulmers - the ice is purely a marketing ploy. Ignoring the fact they're not particularly nice ciders anyway, ice is not particularly common with most other cider brands.

Scrumpy on the other hand is a totally different drink, and probably would taste awful with ice. Comparing a traditional scrumpy to stuff like Magners is akin to comparing ales and lagers - a highly inaccurate comparison.

Answer 17

Hey watch it that's me in the first paragraph.

I don't see that many people drinking cider actually. It may be in vogue but I don't believe it will last. It may never completely fade either, but, I don't think it will last real long. It's too tart.

Answer 18

Good old advertising, as you guessed! Fair enough drinking chilled cider from a fridge, but putting ice in it? Horrid.