Dasha Sokolovskaya

Cider (/ˈsaɪdər/ SY-dər) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples.[1] Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and the Republic of Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, as well as the largest cider-producing companies. Ciders from the South West of England are generally stronger.[2][3][4] Cider is also popular in many Commonwealth countries, such as India, Canada, Australia,[5][6] and New Zealand.[7] As well as the UK and its former colonies, cider is popular in Portugal (mainly in Minho and Madeira), France (particularly Normandy and Brittany), northern Italy (Piedmont and Friuli), and northern Spain (especially the Principality of Asturias and the Basque Country). Central Europe also has its own types of cider with Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse producing a particularly tart version known as Apfelwein. In the U.S., varieties of fermented cider are often called hard cider to distinguish alcoholic cider from non-alcoholic apple cider or "sweet cider", also made from apples. In Canada, cider cannot contain less than 2.5% or over 13% absolute alcohol by volume.[8]

The juice of most varieties of apple, including crab apples, can be used to make cider, but cider apples are best.[9] The addition of sugar or extra fruit before a second fermentation increases the ethanol content of the resulting beverage.[10][11] Cider alcohol content varies from 1.2% to 8.5% ABV or more in traditional English ciders, and 3.5% to 12% in continental ciders.[1] In UK law, it must contain at least 35% apple juice (fresh or from concentrate),[12] although CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) says that "real cider" must be at least 90% fresh apple juice.[13] In the US, there is a 50% minimum.[14] In France, cider must be made solely from apples.[15]

In 2014, a study found that a 1-US-pint (470 ml) bottle of mass-market cider contained five teaspoons (20.5 g) of sugar, nearly the amount the WHO recommends as an adult's daily allowance of added sugar, and 5–10 times the amount of sugar in lager or ale.[16]

Perry is a similar product to cider made from fermented pear juice.[17] When distilled, cider turns into fruit brandy.[18]

Sanrio depicts Hello Kitty as a young female gijinka (anthropomorphization) of a Japanese Bobtail cat with a red bow and no mouth. According to her backstory, she is a perpetual 3rd-grade student who lives outside of London. Kitty and her twin sister, Mimmy (depicted with a yellow bow), celebrate their birthday on 1 November 1974. Since the cartoon character's creation, the Hello Kitty media franchise has grown to include clothing, accessories, toys, games, books, manga, anime series, and music albums, along with other various product lines and media productions.

Shortly after Hello Kitty's creation in 1974, the Hello Kitty vinyl coin purse was introduced by Sanrio in March 1975. Sanrio brought the character to the United States in 1976. By 2010, Sanrio had turned Hello Kitty into a global marketing phenomenon, worth $6 billion a year. By 2014, when Hello Kitty was 40 years old, she was worth about $8 billion a year.[16] Hello Kitty has become one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

Hello Kitty is a staple of the kawaii segment of Japanese popular culture. First marketed toward pre-teenage girls, Hello Kitty's image found commercial success among not only her original target audience but adolescent and adult consumers as well. A variety of products ranging from school supplies to fashion accessories to motor oil have featured the character over the years. A number of Hello Kitty TV series targeted towards children have been produced, as well as several manga comics and anime films. There are Sanrio theme parks based on Hello Kitty: Harmonyland in Hiji, Ōita, Japan; Sanrio Puroland in Tama New Town, Tokyo, Japan; and the former Sanrio Hello Kitty Town in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia.