Before I was a wine drinker, I was a fan of cider.
Or, back in my student days, cider and black.
Then I got to 26 and I was getting married, and wanted to lose a few pounds stone, I went on WeightWatchers and found out there was EIGHT WEIGHTWATCHERS POINTS in a pint of cider. I got about 25 points to use up in a whole day. It didn’t really compute.
So I switched to wine, and now I save cider for a special occasion; a summer barbecue, a trip to Bristol, a curry.
When the Cranes Drink company were looking for people to try out their new cider, I couldn’t just sit on my hands.
The Cranes company was started by identical twin brothers Ben and Dan Ritsema, who figured why not try brewing cranberries because – hello – healthy right?
The cider isn’t just your average apple cider (not that I’m averse to that, at all) but made instead from cranberries and apples, which gives it a pleasing hue as well as containing less sugar; this means it’s also around 30% less calorific than other ciders which perhaps makes it slightly easier on the conscience as well as the waistline.
They are around 4% alcohol, so not likely to see you overdoing it either.
My thoughts on trying Cranes were that although it’s sweeter than I might usually drink, it would make a lovely treat for a summer evening or to serve at a barbecue. It certainly went down well!
Cranes Cider comes in three different flavours:
Cranberries and limes, blueberries and apples, and raspberries and pomegranates, which were all subtly different although had the same overriding crisp taste. My personal favourite was blueberries and apples although they were all pleasant and, er… easy to drink.
If you would like to try Cranes Cider for yourself, you can purchase it via their shop where it costs £27.60 for twelve bottles.
I was sent Cranes Cider for free for the purposes of this review but thoughts are my own. Want to know more? You can visit the Cranes Drink website, or follow them on Twitter or Facebook!
I love Crane's Cider, even more so with their new branding. My favourite summer drink is their blueberry cider 🙂
I love an ice cold Buck's Fizz!
I love a fruity cider in the summer but my favourite is a lovely g&t
a nice lager and lime
Cider shandy with cloudy lemonade!
I love cloudy lemonade yum yum yum so refreshing, but I do enjoy an iced cider too lovely and again very refreshing.
I love cider, in fact I don't drive it enough. I'm entering the competition. Claire x
Homemade lemonade
Lager and Lime
I like sangria it reminds me of holidays!
Can't beat an ice cold cider x
I love fruit cider
Great post! I have entered. Only you can make me feel like a cider at half past six in the morning…
I like a cider or lager or white wine or G&T in the summer! Darker drinks in the winter!
Smirnoff ice
I really love Pimm's, but also love cider 😉
Pimms is my favourite Summer drink for special occasions. Pear Cider for everyday
pimms
Like elderflower cordial
I love a g&t with lime & crushed ice
Ice cold lager
I love a nice cold vodka and orange! Or a cocktail. Cocktails are perfect in summer 🙂
I like Pimms, cider, prosecco or white wine. So plenty of choice.
l love a long cool G & T ice and lemon of course
Can't beat an ice cold crisp lager.
My favourite summer drink is a nice tropical or fruity cocktail! absolutely love Malibu and pineapple and pimms too!
I love cider but I'm diabetic so I have developed a liking for gin and tonic. I had some of the cranberry cider with some poetic license gin and that was rather scrummy.
Chilled rosé wine
Dark fruits cider is my favourite
A nice cold white wine kir
Elderflower cordial
I love some strawberry Pimms.
A nice ice cold cider
I love an ice cold fruit cider or a g&t, it depends on my mood
Margaret Clarkson
I love cider and I also love Pimms
I o love a tall cider with lots of ice! 🙂
it has to be pimms! or even pimms cider cup mmm
i love berry cider or pimms with lemonade
Fruit cider! 🙂
My favourite summer drink is chilled Kiwi Sauvignon blanc.
My favourite summer drink is a cider shandy with ice.
pina coladas are the best summer drink 😀
Cold Lemonade with a slice of lemon
I love a nice cold cider 🙂
Cannot beat a fresh cold fruit cider poured over ice when the sun is shining <3
I have just discovered fruit cider, my favourite is strawberry & lime, delicious
Red lemonade with lots of ice. I tried it on holiday in Ireland and I've loved it ever since. x
Sangria.
Cider with a splash of blackcurrent juice and lots of ice
Pimms and lemonade
non alcoholic orange and lemonade, or alcoholic cider!!! xxx
cider shandy
chilled white wine
I love cider with ice, a nice white wine with ice or rasberry gin topped with prosecco ?☀️?
I love the frozen cocktails or a nice Pimms
A cold dry white wine
I like a nice glass of prosecco
Cider in the sunshine.
Elderflower cordial – summer in a glass!
Hazel Rea – @beachrambler
Pimms and Lemonade
Gin & Tonic
mixed fruit cider is my favourite
Love Pimms with lemonade and fruit
I love Sangria
Pimms is good, or a cold cider with ploughmans lunch.
cider shandy with ice in a tall glass
Has to be PIMMS
A nice Organic cider
Can't beat a G & T 🙂
nice glass of prosecco
Southern comfort and lemonade.
Rose wine is my favourite
not gonna lie, a cold bud
It is genuinely cider. Particularly Henry Westons Vintage Cider. However, that answer makes it seem like I am pandering. So I will go with my second choice, which is Lemon Iced Tea.
Give me an ICE COLD Cider or lager any day!
I'm a bit of a tart when it comes to drinking. Today I might have cider but tomorrow I might have white wine. It depends on whether the drink is cold enough or the weather is hot enough
An nice cold Archers & Lemonade!
Elderflower champagne is lovely!
A nice cocktail – Zombie is my current favourite but we drink quite a few different ones as well as beer, cider and wine :o)
Besides a nice ice cold cider I do love a mojito in the summer x
I love a nice ice cold pear cider ?
Pimms and lemonade
Love a cold beer.
I really like Sangria.
I have a couple depending on circumstance – A long G&T with lime or a fruity cold cider
I love a fruit cider
Gin and Tonic 🙂
I like a Robinson's orange squash ice cold
Cider is perfect with a ploughmans lunch but in the evening I like gin and tonic
white wine and soda
I love berry ciders so cool and refreshing Linda Guest @Butterflytails on Twitter
I love a really cold Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc or a spritzer.
Pear cider.
Fruity cider with ice cubes for hot summer days
Ice cold lager
cold fruity cider with BBQ such a lovely thing
A cold strawberry & lime cider with lots of ice! Preferably with a sea view ?
I like a cold 7up in the summer ?
Has to be a nice glass of prosecco
Frozen margarita
Sangria for me!
A chilled dry cider is my favourite
Pimms or cocktails with lots of ice.
Fruit cider with lots of ice 🙂
Pimms is my favourite
SANGRIA! Even in sunny old Burnley, ha ha!
Gin and Tonic, I love to try out new gins! If on holiday I love a Pina Colada too in the sunshine
Cider!
My favourite summer drink is a strawberry daiquiri
Love a iced cider in the summer!
Gin and tonic with ice and a slice!
Pimms and Lemonade xx
I think it has to be lemonade or ll me. It's refreshing especially with ice and so delicious! Thank you
i like a raspberry lemonade
Pimms
Cider in summer for me too. Cold as you can make it.
WKD blue ,
strawberry daiquiri
Cider has always been my choice of summer tipple, but with all the various fruit flavours it now takes me all year to try them!
Tequila!!!!!!!!!!! It makes Sime happy!
Gin and tonic
Light alcoholic exotic fruity drink with funny umbrella 🙂
Beer with Sprite , so refreshing 🙂
A nice berry cider slushie
You can't beat a pint of shandy when it's hot!
Flavored Cider yum
I love a GLASS of chilled Pimms with strawberries – yummytastic xxx
I love frozen Pina Colada in the summer
A pina colada for me and a chilled cider for my husband!
white wine spritzer 🙂