I've tried to find Martinelli's sparkling apple cider for our Xmas meal a few times this season. It has traditionally been the non-alcoholic special drink we've used as a champagne substitute over the years. I haven't been able to find it in the usual places, i.e. alongside the sparkling white and red grape juices in the grocery store.
Frustrated, I accosted an associate who was wheeling a cart with sealed, shrink-wrapped apple-ciderish-looking bottles towards the back room employee area. It looked just like this:
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He looked pretty sheepish as he shook his head, no. He saw my eyes examining his cargo.
"Well, actually, this here IS sparkling cider, but we're not allowed to sell this product in Maine as cider anymore. There's been a new law passed ..."
"But ..."
"Yes, I know, it's been sold as such for decades, but we're not permitted to continue doing it. Something about what the word cider means."
I checked it out when I got home - yes, it's true.
In June 2021, a restriction was placed on products labeled as cider "if that product does not require refrigeration from pressing through purchase or has been heated. A person may not sell, advertise, offer or expose for sale any product labeled as "cider."
OK, so now we all know - this is my PSA. I might need to shop in NH or MA if I want sparkling cider in future. But white grape juice will do for now.
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