With the help of Thatchers, The Morning Advertiser (MA) has spelled out what the cider category looks like as the pub sector hopes to sink its teeth into a summer of pub garden drinking, sport and (state sanctioned) socialising. A – Apple Where else can you start with a feature on cider? With some 7,500 varieties grown worldwide – and more than 250 UK apple varieties used for cider according to Discover Cider – it’s little wonder the category is so diverse. More than half (55%) of the 122 new cider products introduced to the drinks market in 2019 were apple-based – compared to 39% fruit ciders – according to CGA, proving that despite the success of zany flavours, they still haven’t completely upset the apple cart.