Heineken USA is phasing out the original Strongbow Hard Cider recipe and replacing it with new Strongbow Gold Apple Hard Cider and Strongbow Honey & Apple Hard Cider.

White Plains, N.Y.-based Heineken USA, which acquired import rights to the Strongbow Hard Cider brand in January 2013, is phasing out the original Strongbow Hard Cider recipe in place of the new Strongbow Gold Apple Hard Cider and Strongbow Honey & Apple Hard Cider. In a blind taste test conducted last year by Rogil Research, both men and women noted that they strongly preferred the new crisp, refreshing flavor profile of Strongbow Gold Apple, the company says.

C&C Group plc, the Dublin-based manufacturer, marketer and distributor of beer and hard cider brands including Woodchuck and Hornsby’s, has acquired the remaining 50 percent stake in Wallaces Express, Scotland's largest wine and spirits wholesaler.

The Boston Beer Co. added Angry Orchard Green Apple to its lineup of year-round hard ciders.

Woodchuck Hard Cider is adding another package size for its flagship Amber cider. The brand recently added a 16-ounce can for Woodchuck Amber, following the success of its 12-ounce cans, which were released in 2012.

When it comes to the overall alcohol market, manufacturers not only are analyzing their own brand sales but also the respective categories in which they compete. For the beer category, hard ciders are offering consumers an entry point into this multibillion dollar industry, experts note.

Vermont Hard Cider Co. LLC, Middlebury, Vt., released its new Woodchuck Hopped Apple hard cider exclusively on draft in bars, pubs and restaurants across the United States.

Vermont Hard Cider Co. LLC introduced the third cider in its Cider Cellar Series: Chocolate.

On-premise ale and cider sales were on the rise in the third quarter of 2013, reports Restaurant Sciences LLC, Newton, Mass. Ale sales grew 2 percent and cider sales grew 39 percent compared with the prior-year period, it reports. Comparatively, nationwide on-premise lager sales were down 7 percent compared with the third quarter of 2012, it adds.

The Boston Beer Co. introduced Angry Orchard Cinnful Apple hard cider for the fall and winter seasons.