White Lightning was a brand of English
white cider produced from the early 1990s to 2009.
Origin
''White Lightning'' was originally manufactured in the early 1990s by
Inch's Cider of
Winkleigh
Winkleigh is a civil parish and small village in Devon, England. It is part of the local government area of Torridge District Council. The population of the parish at the 2011 census was 1,305, compared to 1,079 in 1901. The population of the el ...
.
Inch's Cider was bought out by
H. P. Bulmer in 1995, and in spite of initial assurances that production would continue in Winkleigh, the cider brewery there was shut and all production moved to
Hereford
Hereford ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of the ceremonial county of Herefordshire, England. It is on the banks of the River Wye and lies east of the border with Wales, north-west of Gloucester and south-west of Worcester. With ...
. Bulmers was in turn acquired by
Scottish Courage in 2003.
Commercial success
White Lightning quickly gained brand recognition in the late 1990s-2000s in a competitive marketplace with its distinctive large deep blue coloured thin
plastic bottle's design, very low price and high strength, making it popular with those seeking strong alcohol with minimal money to spend.
On its release, its strength was 7.5%
alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as alc/vol or ABV) is a common measure of the amount of Alcohol (drug), alcohol contained in a given alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the volume the ethanol in the liquid would take if separated from the rest ...
, although labelled as 8.4%. UK alcohol taxation provided a price-break for ciders up to 7.5%, which fuelled the original development of the white cider market. However makers were allowed to over-state this strength on product labels, up to 8.4%.
After 1996 this law was reviewed. White Lightning was then sold at either 7.5% or 8.4%, the 8.4% now being slightly stronger, but having a higher price owing to the greater duty paid.
With gathering evidence of its adverse social effects that were becoming apparent,
Heineken
Heineken Lager Beer (), or simply Heineken (), is a Dutch pale lager beer with 5% alcohol by volume produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken N.V. Heineken beer is sold in a green bottle with a red star.
History
On 15 February 1864, ...
, the new owners of Scottish Courage, wished to distance themselves from the perceived negative impression of White Lightning. The price was gradually increased and the strength was finally reduced to 5.5% in May 2009.
Production discontinued
At the end of 2009, Heineken decided to discontinue its manufacture due to its brand image problem in the United Kingdom as having become synonymous with
under-age drinking,
anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviours, sometimes called dissocial behaviours, are actions which are considered to violate the rights of or otherwise harm others by committing crime or nuisance, such as stealing and physical attack or noncriminal behaviours s ...
,
homelessness
Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...
and impoverished
alcoholism
Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
, in an echo of the
Gin Craze
The Gin Craze was a period in the first half of the 18th century when the consumption of gin increased rapidly in Great Britain, especially in London. Daniel Defoe commented: "the Distillers have found out a way to hit the palate of the Poor, by ...
of the 18th century. Such cheap non-distilled drinks (both high-strength beer and cider) became known as "tramp juice" in the UK media. When sold on special at
off licences, 3 litre plastic bottles of 8.4% White Lightning could be purchased for less than £2.
Inch's Cider
In 2021, Heineken (the owner of H. P. Bulmer) relaunched Inch's Cider as a sustainable cider brand with a 4.5% medium cider available in the United Kingdom in cans, bottles and on draught.
See also
*
Buckfast Tonic Wine
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:White Lightning (Cider)
Brands of cider
British alcoholic drinks
English ciders