Hungary: Good News for Local Cider-Fans and British Expats - Refined and Updated Article

In 2012 more than 4 million bottles of cider were sold in Hungary. This data implies 865% growth of cider consumption from 2011 to 2012. Hungary’s traditionally well-established apple-production notwithstanding, until 2013 (March) one could buy only imported cider in Hungary. Bearing in mind such extraordinary growth in the market, it is unsurprising that a few young Hungarian entrepreneurs came up with the idea of introducing local cider into the market.

Orsolya Tölyhi learned the technology of craft-cider production in Herefordshire. Thereafter together with Katalin Szabó they established a small plant in the little village of Vértesboglár in the Hungarian countryside, where they continue the great project. The young company (Czider Kft.) established local craft-cider production in Hungary, using a blend of 100% pressed Hungarian apples with no artificial additives. They named the new product czider to make it a bit Hungarian-sounding. In 2012 czider won the 4^thplace in the category of bottle fermented cider on the The Big Apple Cider Trials, a competition held in the UK.

 

This achievement is spectacular considering the recent establishment of the product and competition with seventeen British producers. The good news is that finally czider is available in downtown Budapest; for instance in Spíler (Király street 13.), in Kandalló (Kertész street 33.), and in the very recently established Liquid Drink Bar (Vámház krt. 10.).

Agnes Kelemen, 

Nationalism Studies,

Hungary