Cider

Cider is a delightful apple or pear based beverage. Cider can be made and served in a variety of ways; with or without alcohol, dry or sweet, fizzy or still, heated or chilled. The common denominator is always the apple and/or pear, which gives the drink its character and naturally fresh flavour!

Cider is enjoyed all around the world, but is most popular in Western Europe, the United States and South Africa.

Briska was developed in cooperation between Spendrups Brewery and the Kiviks Cider Mill. The Kiviks Cider Mill in Österlen has been producing cider since 1935 and has an extensive knowledge of the craft.

Briska has a base of Swedish fruit, which along with all of its other ingredients, are carefully selected. When necessary, a certain amount of European apples are used to ensure an adequate volume for the entire production. All of the apples used in the making of Briska are carefully selected and hand picked. In addition, Briska has a very high content of fruit juice, which enhances the beverage’s natural flavor.

The sweetness in Briska is well balanced as it comes from the must and sugar originated from southern Sweden, this gives Briska a fresh and natural taste.

Local distributors in the Österlen district supply most of the raw materials to Kiviks Cider Mill. Thus, the ingredients in Briska, are to as great an extent as possible, locally produced and of Swedish origin.

This makes Briska a very unique, high quality cider with a great taste.

Both the Pear and Pomegranate flavored Briska are available to order from Systembolaget in 33cl glass bottles.

History

Cider is a beverage with old Swedish traditions and has been made and sold commercially since the beginning of the 1900s. In the past cider was alcohol-free, containing less than 2.25% alcohol by volume.

But manufacturing of cider goes even further back in time. According to Hippocrates, the Greeks drank "sikera" more than five centuries before the birth of Christ and according to Plinius, the Romans drank fermented apple must.
It is said that the monk Dom Perignon, who supposedly was one of the founders of champagne, got the inspiration for the new beverage through studies in a ciderie in the 1600s. The cider spread to mainland Europe and the British took a liking in the beverage.

The old cider had a more dry character and a taste which consisted of various apple flavours. It was not until 1995 that the sweet cider had its premiere and quickly conquered a large portion of the cider market.

The early cider had a more dry character and rich apple flavour. It was not until 1995 that the sweet cider had its premiere and quickly conquered a large portion of the cider market.

How is Cider made?

The apples begin to take shape in the early spring when flowering starts. During the summer the apple orchards are thinned to make space for the very best apples.

The apple is a very sensitive fruit and must be handled with the utmost care, which is why each apple that goes into Briska is carefully harvested by hand. The different varieties of apples ripen at different speeds, which in turn prolongs the harvest period from September to November. After the harvest, the apples are sorted by type, each apple is chosen for its taste and level of acidity to achieve the right balance of the final product. The selected apples are then gently pressed and squeezed to obtain the must (juice), which is then fermented for two to three weeks into apple wine. At the Spendrups Brewery in Grängesberg, the apple wine is blended with water and some other ingredients, carbonated and bottled.

Tip: Watch the film for a better insight into the cider-making process. Click on the topic “Film” in the top menu.

What is Cider?

Cider consists of:

• » Wine base; The fermented apple or pears create the wine base
• » Must; Apple or pear must (juice) is added for taste and to obtain the correct alcohol content during fermentation.
• » Water; The wine base can be diluted with water to obtain the correct alcohol content.
• » Aromas; Natural aromas are added to the mixture to enrich the flavour.
• » Sugar; Sugar is added to achieve the right amount of sweetness in the cider.

Briska comes in two flavors; wonderfully fresh and sour pear and crunchy fresh pomegranate. The alcohol content is 4.5% ABV

Pear

• » carbonated water
• » pear wine (13,5% pear juice)
• » pear juice (8%)
• » sugar
• » apple cider (1,5% apple juice)
• » natural pear flavoring
• » acid; citric acid
• » preservatives; potassium sorbate and potassium disulphite
• » caramel colouring; sockerkulör
• » Contains sulphite.

Pomegranate

• » carbonated water
• » apple cider (15%)
• » apple juice (8%)
• » sugar
• » natural pomegranate flavoring
• » acid; citric acid
• » colouring; anthocyanin
• » preservative: potassium sorbate and potassium disulphite
• » Contains sulphite.

Contact Information

Briska is produced by Spendrups Bryggeri AB.

The headquarters of Spendrups Bryggeri is in Vårby, just outside Stockholm.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us, ask for Export
Phone: +46 (0) 8-672 77 00 (switchboard).
email: export@spendrups.se


Our postal address is: PO Box 3006, 143 03 Vårby.

For more information about Spendrups, please visit our website: www.spendrups.se

Introducing an international Briska!

• » Briska is now available in an international 33cl glass bottle in two refreshing flavours; Briska pear and Briska pomegranate.


• » Briska is available in the following languages: English, Spanish, Greek, German and Italian.


• » From April we will also have Briska Pear in an exciting new package - 33cl PET bottle. A stylish, practical and environmentally-friendly bottle for any occasion.


• » If not available at your nearest Systembolaget store, you can ask them to order it and the delivery will be made within 2 business days.

Sweden has a long tradition of brewing cider. With Briska we have developed a semi-dry, fruity and natural cider. briska should be enjoyed chilled in a glass over ice. This sparkling and refreshing drink can be enjoyed during any occasion, preferably with good friends.