Nylon Beat reflects on Finnish cider craze as nostalgia surfaces in Turku

The iconic Finnish pop duo Nylon Beat captured the essence of the late 1990s with their song lyrics, “Seksi vie ja taksi tuo mut siideri mua liikuttaa” (Sex takes me, the taxi brings me, but cider moves me). Cider indeed captured the hearts of Finnish consumers around twenty years ago. While ciders began appearing on the market in Finland in the 1960s, a cider craze erupted in the mid-1990s when they became widely available in grocery stores.

During the turn of the millennium, drinkers were no longer limited to plain apple or pear varieties; an array of exotic flavors, such as a cappuccino-flavored cider created by Olvi, became available. Celebrity ciders emerged, with names such as Leningrad Cowboys cider, Matti Nykänen cider, and the legendary Linda cider. A promotional event for Linda cider in 1997 featured celebrity appearances, including popular TV meteorologist Juha Föhr and the mother of violinist Linda Lampenius, actress Ulla Eklund.

Linda cider was a massive hit, and Lampenius later claimed that the income from it helped fund her life in the United States. Consumption soared, earning it serious media attention at the time due to record-breaking sales. Bars attracted customers with one-euro ciders.

Turku-based restaurateur Mikaela Savolainen recalls the golden years of cider, noting that many would travel far for a good cider deal, as these drinks had become a staple during social gatherings. The cider boom coincided with the rise of the “girl power” movement, as women embraced cider as a preferred drink, shedding the notion that they had to settle for beer.

However, by the mid-2000s, alcohol consumption began to decline, and the cider trend faded, with young people drinking less overall. Recently, a new trend has emerged in the form of pineapple alcopop introduced in summer 2023, while non-alcoholic beverages are seeing increased orders at bars. “The golden years of cider are behind us,” Savolainen concludes, perhaps with a hint of nostalgia.