Hard cider: Niche no more?

You know the market for hard ciders is changing when Michelob joins the battle, said Fred Tasker in The Miami Herald. Hard cider sales are up by 50 percent in the past year, helped by the arrival of Michelob’s Ultra Light Cider and Samuel Adams’s Angry Orchard line. If you’re new to hard cider, think of it as a white-wine alternative: Its range is that wide.

Angry Orchard Traditional Dry Hard Cider (Six for $9). The first of our three favorites could serve as “an excellent aperitif.” It’s light and crisp, with flavors of tart apple.

Crispin ‘Browns Lane’ Dry Cider ($2.69 for 16.9 oz). This lightly sparkling cider offers flavors of caramel, earth, and bitter almond.

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Prince Edward County Ice Cider ($30 for 375 ml). This medium-sweet dessert cider offers “concentrated flavors of apples, cinnamon, and honey.”