NEW YORK – Anheuser-Busch InBev will launch a hard cider next year called Johnny Appleseed, Advertising Age reports.

The move is considered validation from big brewers that the cider trend is enduring.

The “major new brand launch” will hit store shelves in the spring and be backed by “significant marketing support,” A-B InBev wrote in a memo to distributors.

As recently as 2011, neither MillerCoors nor A-B InBev had a cider brand. But they entered the category last year as the trend showed staying power.

MillerCoors acquired Crispin Cider Co. of Minnesota last year and will unveil a new brand called Smith & Forge hard Cider in 2014.

A-B InBev, meanwhile, has gotten involved with cider line extensions of Michelob Ultra and Stella Artois. But the company’s launch of Johnny Appleseed is proof that it is making a long-term investment in cider with a new brand.

"Cider is a rapidly growing category and Johnny Appleseed is uniquely positioned to capture share of volume and share of voice in this expanding segment," the company’s memo said.