CUB branches out in cider market CUB makes 70 per cent of its cider sales in summer. FOSTER'S will shake up its rapidly growing cider division, introducing mid-sized bottles and new packaging in an attempt to capture older drinkers. Subsidiary Carlton & United Breweries will roll out 500ml bottles in its most popular cider brand, Strongbow. The beverage maker now releases 750ml and 355ml ciders in its original, sweet, dry and clear varieties. CUB will also delete the Strongbow fruit brand as it conflicts with a deal struck in June to distribute the Swedish Kopparberg fruit cider brand. The changes come as CUB launches into the summer trading period, when it makes 70 per cent of its cider sales. Cider accounts for about 3 per cent of the Australian liquor market but is the fastest growing category, with sales growth last year of 17 per cent. CUB believes it could reach 11 per cent of the market in coming years. Cider consumption in Australia has been growing at a double-digit rate every year for the past five years. Foster's chief Ari Mervis has seen rejuvenation in the beverage group's brands - including Victoria Bitter, Crown, Carlton Cold and Cascade - since he took the top job. Mr Mervis took control when Foster's was bought by Anglo-South African brewing giant SABMiller in 2011. CUB cider general manager Craig MacLean said that while one in four younger drinkers consumed cider, there was plenty of room for growth with drinkers over 35. While Kopparberg - with flavours such as strawberry and lime - was aimed at drinkers aged 18 to 24, he said, Strongbow was aimed at the 35-plus market. Mr MacLean said men and women were drinking together socially more than in past generations, and this was driving sales of drinks such as cider. They don't have as many ciders in a session as they would with beer. But they will drink it more often," he said. We have to make sure we remain relevant in a rapidly changing cider market. While about 1.65 million Australians consumed cider regularly, there were 3 million who drank it occasionally. We think 2.1 million of those consider Strongbow and so we can see growth in that market over the next five years. He also said early sales of Kopparberg, which started retailing in October, had exceeded expectations. We've got a couple of hundred distribution points and we will rapidly expand that over the next couple of months.