Crispin Original Apple Cider: Yuppie Cider Gone Wrong

I picked up a 4-pack of Crispin "original" Hard Apple Cider on a whim. I'm quite fond of hard cider, though I've yet to have one that comes anything like close to the stuff New England farmers make in ceramic jugsCrispin Cider, or to a pear cider the likes of the no-longer-made Pear Cider at the Westwood Brewery. Crispin Original Apple Cider isn't bad; it's a bit on the sweet side but I tend to favor dry ciders. Crispin makes a dry cider, as well as a sweet. This is the "regular" or medium version. It's made of all natural ingredients, something that they're rather proud of, and has no added preservatives or coloring or sugar or other sweetening; not even unfermented apple juice added after the fermentation is done. It's made with a "premium apple blend," and then cold filtered (to prevent the natural cloudy appearance of fermented apple cider). The ABV is 5%. It's a decent bottled cider, and if you like hard cider, you'll like Crispin, though at a bit over $6.00 for a four-pack, you'd best be pretty sure you like hard cider. I note that they do have plans for expansion, including artisanal ciders.

But—and here's where the "Yuppie Cider Gone Wrong" subtitle comes in—the packaging, and the Crispin Cider Web site both urge us to drink the cider on ice. No, really. Here's the Web site text:

Welcome to the new ice age. The age of Crispin Super Premium, Natural Hard Apple Cider. Serve over a glass of fresh ice and experience crisp, clean pure natural refreshment.

I like to be fair, so I did in fact try Crispin over ice. It was like tasting watered down cold hard cider, not so surprisingly. But I must admit that the marketing around Crispin Cider reminds me more than a little of Zima. And that's probably not a good thing.