'White Lightning', the cider, is typically sold in two or three litre
plastic bottles (for roughly three and five pounds, respectively). It's the mother of cheap ciders, if only because the name spells out its appeal quite clearly - 'drink me, and embark on a one-way
harmony joy bus ride into a
microscopic liquid subway to oblivion'.
It is, as noted above, loved by students and other degenerates, due to the favourable ratio between price and quantity, and that fact that it is 7.5% alcohol.
It was bought from the original manufacturers, Inch, in 1996 by HP Bulmer, who also make Strongbow and Woodpecker cider, both of which are more socially-acceptable than White Lightning. Instead of capitalising on White Lightning's 'Bad Boy' image, HP Bulmer decided to increase the price, tart up the design, and make it more 'premium' - a decision doomed to failure. From their website:
"The higher price positioning and brand franchise make it more attractive to both retailers and consumers alike."
Although not attractive enough to prevent Bulmer's profits from dipping by 21 per cent since 1998.