Bar staff serving Bulmers Original Draught over Ice will place a scoop of ice into an oversized branded glass before dispensing the cider. The brewer is producing branded ice-scoops to accompany the launch.
The cider is being made available to the trade from this month, priced at a similar level to draft premium lager and Guinness.
Stephen Mosey, the marketing manager with responsibility for cider at S&N, said the draught product was developed to tap into the continued growth of cider.
He claimed the draught serving method had a number of advantages over bottled cider, such as the fact that it delivers a 'consistency of coldness that cannot be guaranteed when fridges need to be hastily restocked during busy trading periods', and would address the problems some customers encounter in handling a bottle and glass in busy bars.
Mosey added that the tap's positioning on the bar would boost the brand's visibility.
S&N's beer and cider business outperformed a market down overall by 2.8% in the six months to 30 June, according to its interim results. Its branded cider revenue rose 24.7% over the period, which it attributed partly to its presence in the premium over-ice category.
Its performance contrasts sharply with Magners owner C&C, which pioneered the over-ice proposition. It expected its first-half operating profit to fall by about 35%, mainly due to poor weather and increased competition.
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