:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Ciders-to-try-FT-MAG-0925-aaed24bdc2934c4ca57441f8851853ec.jpg?ssl=1 "Why Cider Offers the Best Value Sparkling — Plus 10 to Try")
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When you hear the word cider, what comes to mind? Is it what kids sip from juice boxes, or the golden-amber liquid families purchase in jugs from a farm stand in autumn, or the piping-hot drink laced with cinnamon served from massive pots at farmers markets? Maybe you think you’ve tried cider but don’t care for it because it’s too sweet. Or, how about none of those things?
“Very simply, cider is apple wine,” explains Erik Madrid, a Certified Pommelier and co-owner of the online specialty cider retailer Press Then Press. The definition of cider is juice pressed from apples and fermented into an alcoholic drink that tends to fall between 3% and 8% alcohol by volume. Nonalcoholic apple “cider” isn’t actually cider; it’s juice.
But just as wine isn’t a monolith, neither is cider. It ranges from extremely dry and bubbly, like brut Champagne, to juicy and sweet, like Moscato. Other similarities abound: Like wine, cider balances acids, tannins, and sweetness; it comes in cans as well as bottles; and its character depends on the whims of nature, changing from year to year.
One advantage cider has over wine? A comparatively lower price. “Over 90% of our ciders are less than $25, $26 a bottle,” says Madrid. “Cider can be a life hack on your drinking budget. It’s just as interesting as wine, just as delicate and fine and nuanced.”
Sure, there are plenty of sweet ciders out there (I see you, Angry Orchard). But the time is ripe for cider to move past its one-dimensional reputation and for consumers to approach the category with the same appreciation for complexity that they have for wine and beer. Once you start to scratch the surface of how many styles and flavors are out there, Madrid says, the cider world is wide open to all: “Anybody who’s ever tasted really good cider alongside a really nice meal — that’s a light bulb moment.” Here are 10 ciders to try now.
10 great ciders to try
Finnriver Farm & Cidery Black Currant ($11 for 500 milliliters)
Organic dessert apples are blended with black currants for this nontraditional but extremely fun drink from Washington state. It’s perfect for mixing into a cocktail or enjoying on its own.
Arratzain Sidra Natural ($17)
Native Basque apples, known for their high acid levels and complex tannins, yield dry, funky creations meant to be poured from high above the glass — that high pour adds additional carbonation to the cider (plus a lot of fun).
Eric Bordelet Sidre Brut ($17)
Sommelier turned cider-maker Eric Bordelet captures Normandy’s bittersweet and finely balanced apple flavors in his creations. With its very dry finish and effusive bubbles, this cider builds an easy bridge for wine lovers to cross over toward cider.
| Cider Glossary | |
|---|---|
| Pommelier | A cider expert certified by the American Cider Association, similar to a sommelier for wine. |
| Carbonation | Cider is either sparkling (highly carbonated, like Champagne), pétillant (mildly to moderately carbonated), or still (flat, no carbonation). |
| Pétillant naturel (pét-nat) | Sometimes called the ancestral method or méthode ancestrale, this traditional cider-making method involves cider fermenting in the bottle for a naturally sparkling product. Pét-nat ciders are best drunk fresh. |
| Traditional method | For this production method (formerly known as méthode Champenoise), a small dose of sugar and/or yeast is added to start a second fermentation in the bottle. |
| Keeved cider | For this uncommon and somewhat unpredictable method of production, found in France and some parts of England, bittersweet apples slowly ferment into slightly dark, tannic, full-bodied sparkling ciders that have a soft finish. |
| Co-ferments | Ciders or wines in which two or more types of fruit ferment together. |
South Hill Cider String Theory ($19)
This naturally fermented pét-nat cider is made in New York with apple varieties like Dabinett, Chisel Jersey, and Tremlett’s Bitter. It’s full of personality, with a bubbly finish and juicy mouthfeel, ideal for fans of the fizzy, fresh pét-nat approach.
Albemarle CiderWorks Harrison ($20)
Once thought extinct, the heirloom Harrison apple variety has made a comeback in recent years. Its unique balance of acid, tannins, and sugar results in complex, intensely flavored ciders like this one from Virginia.
Haykin Family Cider Dabinett ($22)
This full-bodied cider from Colorado, made with Dabinett apples, has hints of caramelized sugar, black tea, and fresh apple pie. Its complexity and balance make it ideal for nearly any food, but especially aged cheeses and roasted meats.
Oliver’s Cider and Perry Oh To Mantle ($25)
Using only fruit from England’s Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire counties, Tom Oliver’s low-intervention Oh To Mantle has a dry, earthy finish with bright acidity and balanced tannins.
Snow Capped Cider Sparkling Rosé Cider ($28)
This take on rosé uses apples grown at high elevation in Colorado and is blended with dried elderberries and aged on Malbec wine lees in American oak barrels. The result is creamy, sparkling, slightly tart, and sweet.
Eden Ciders Honeycrisp Ice Cider ($29 for 375 milliliters)
Typically around 10% ABV, ice cider is a sweet dessert cider that bursts with rich apple flavor. This version from Eden Ciders offers a luscious finish, ideal for an after-dinner treat or nightcap.
Yonder Cider Co. Dry ($42 for a 12-pack of 16-ounce cans)
Light, crisp, and refreshing, Yonder Cider’s Dry cider blends apples grown in Washington state’s Wenatchee Valley into an easy-drinking entry point for fans of light lager, Vinho Verde, and Pinot Grigio.
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