Although hard cider stems from a smaller market share of the beer category, the hard cider segment continues to outpace the beer category as a whole. According to Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. (IRI), hard cider was up approximately 15 percent for more than $436 million in dollar sales in the 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015, in U.S. supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchandisers, gas and convenience stores, military commissaries, and select club and dollar retail chains. Case sales growth was just under 12 percent in that timeframe.
Angry Orchard, a brand of Boston-based The Boston Beer Co., is the segment leader accounting for nearly 58 percent of dollar sales share. The craft brewer continues to make gains with Angry Orchard within the hard cider segment and is capitalizing on its hard cider dominance with line extensions.