Brothers Cider
Fruit cider from Somerset, born at festivals, now global.
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Brothers Cider is a fruit cider brand from Somerset in South West England. It first appeared at music festivals before expanding into pubs, bars, and shops across the UK, as well as internationally in Thailand, Singapore, and China.
The company, Brothers Drinks Co. Limited, was founded in 1992 by the four Showering brothers, whose parents had been involved in producing Babycham since the 1950s. Based in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, the cider is fermented and bottled at the Showerings Cider Mill, on the site of the former Anglo-Bavarian Brewery—sometimes claimed as the UK’s first lager brewery, though this is debated.
In 1995, Glastonbury Festival organiser Michael Eavis gave the Brothers space for a bar near the Jazz World Stage, but sales were limited to perry-based drinks. When customers didn’t understand “perry,” the Brothers explained it as “like cider but made from pears.” After repeating this thousands of times, the term “pear cider” caught on. Ten years later, in 2005, Brothers began packaging its cider for pubs and retail.
In 2007, Brothers started bottling soft drinks for Fever-Tree, which now accounts for half of its production capacity. Brothers became a minority shareholder in Fever-Tree in 2013. That same year, the company—with an annual turnover of £46 million—launched a new range of packaging.
In 2016, the Showering brothers bought the Shepton Mallet Cider Mill from C&C Group plc, though not the brands, returning the mill to family ownership. Matthew Showering noted that their grandfather built the factory, and it was “great to reconnect with the place” after it left the family business when sold to Allied Breweries in the late 1960s.
In 2021, the brothers acquired Babycham, the brand most closely tied to their cider mill.
On 15 February 2024, Brothers announced a relaunch with four new flavours: App-Solutely Pear-fect, Un-Berrylievable, Best of the Zest, and Berry Sub-Lime. These are available in 500ml cans, 330ml sleek cans, or 6x330ml sleek can multipacks. The new flavours replace all previous offerings, ending the use of glass bottles and sweeter Brothers flavours.
Lore & Background
Brothers Drinks Co. Limited was started in 1992 by four Showering brothers, whose parents were involved with the production of Babycham from the 1950s. It is based in Shepton Mallet, Somerset. Brothers' Cider is fermented and bottled at the Showerings Cider Mill and on the former site of the Anglo-Bavarian Brewery, which has been claimed as the first lager brewery in the United Kingdom, although the claim is disputed.
In 1995, Michael Eavis offered the Brothers space for a bar at the Glastonbury Festival, near the Jazz World Stage, but with sales restricted to perry-based drinks. When the offer of 'perry' was met with little understanding the Brothers would describe it as 'like cider but made from pears' and after repeating this tens of thousands of times the shorthand 'pear cider' was introduced and understood. Ten years later, in 2005, Brothers was packaged and launched into pubs and the retail trade.
In 2007, Brothers began bottling soft drinks for Fever-Tree. 50% of Brothers' capacity is accounted for by Fever-Tree. Brothers became a minority shareholder in Fever-Tree in 2013.
In 2016, the Showering Brothers bought the Shepton Mallett Cider Mill from C&C Group plc but not the brands, returning ownership to the family that had founded it. In 2021, the Showering Brothers acquired Babycham. On 15 February 2024, Brothers announced that they were re-launching with 4 new flavours: App-Solutely Pear-fect, Un-Berrylievable, Best of the Zest and Berry Sub-Lime, available in 500ml cans, 330ml sleek can or 6x330ml sleek can multipacks, replacing all current offerings and ending glass bottles and sweet Brothers flavours.
Reader's Guide
Brothers Cider's significance lies in its origin at the Glastonbury Festival, where the need to explain perry led to the popularisation of the term 'pear cider'. This innovation helped the brand transition from festival bars to national and international retail. The company's history is deeply tied to the Showering family's legacy in cider and drinks production, including the former Babycham business. The 2016 repurchase of the family-built cider mill reconnected the brothers with their heritage.
Brothers also played a key role in the growth of Fever-Tree, bottling its soft drinks and later becoming a minority shareholder. The 2024 relaunch marked a major shift, abandoning glass bottles and sweet flavours in favour of four new canned flavours, signalling a strategic rebranding. The brand's international reach extends to Thailand, Singapore, and China, reflecting its expansion beyond the UK market.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Brothers Cider (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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