Are Fruit Flavoured Ciders Actually Cider?

Real cider is made using 100% pure juice from fresh apples. The natural yeasts from the apples ferment causing the apples to produce CO2 and alcohol, the cider is then allowed to mature. That’s it.

For a drink to be called cider it must be made of at least 35 per cent apple juice, but the move toward flavoured or fruit cider – including strawberry and passion fruit – sees large commercial brewers using more flavourings and sugars and water to make up the other 65%.

Fruit ciders on average contain a third more calories than a traditional pint of cider, due mainly to the amount of added sugar.

If commercial cider makers had to list ingredients on the back of the bottle or can, the list would be long…

So, the big question is; are flavoured ciders, really cider?

You decide.

The Big Bear – 100% Apples 100% Essex