All About Apple Cider, Fall's Favorite Drink

Different Variations of this Beloved Cold-Weather Beverage

Oct 7, 2009

Nothing hits the spot during autumn like a hot cup of apple cider. Here are the basic categories and a brief background of this well-loved holiday refreshment.

Once the weather cools, there's nothing quite like apple cider. Whether it's hot mulled apple cider or a cool, orchard-fresh glass, the taste is perfect for autumn.

A Bit of Apple Cider Background

Apple cider is an extremely popular beverage worldwide. It is easy to make and relatively cheap to produce, and has had an important historic and cultural impact.

Well before Roman times, a cider-like beverage was consumed in what we today call Europe and Asia. Later, the Romans loved an alcoholic version of cider, too, however, and over time it only grew in popularity throughout many European countries and, eventually, early America.

With the introduction of apple crops in North America and with a little help from Johnny Appleseed, this easy to make drink became more and more popular until prohibition limited the production of alcoholic beverages.

Today, apple cider, alcoholic or not, has regained its popularity and is loved across the country as a tasty treat and a symbol of the changing of seasons and the approaching holidays.

The Process of Making Apple Cider

Cider is generally made with a mix of different types of apples for a balanced mix of flavor and acidity. There are several hundred varieties of cider apples, so it is up to the cider maker which variety he will combine.

Apples are harvested in the fall, then stored for about a week to allow the sugars to increase. Later, they are washed and pulverized. The pulp is then pressed and the resulting juice is lightly filtered. These days, wholesale distributors must pasteurize their apple cider before packaging.

Some of the Many Different Apple Cider Beverages

Particularly in the fall, many different terms may be heard: apple cider, hard cider, mulled cider, and sparkling cider are a few examples.

Apple cider, or soft cider, is the juice of pressed apples. The fundamental difference between apple cider and apple juice is the amount of filtration and distillation they receive; cider contains small bits of pulp and is generally cloudy, while apple juice is further filtered until mostly clear.

In Europe, the name cider generally refers to the alcoholic version that North Americans would call hard cider. For hard cider, the basic apple cider is allowed to ferment, a process that allows the natural sugars of the apples to convert to ethyl alcohol.

There are several different specifications for hard cider. It can be sparkling or still (carbonated for not), Farmhouse Style (which has an alcohol content of 5-12%), French Style (which is lower in alcohol, normally about 3%), Mead (which has honey added), or Perry (which boasts an addition of pear juice). Additionally, one may find apple wine, which is any apple cider with an alcohol level over 12%.

To mull something generally means to spice and heat it. This popular cold weather drink combines apple cider with a variety of spices (such as cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg), and occasionally orange zest. It is heated to allow the flavors to mingle, then served hot.

This lightly carbonated juice is commonly given to children or non-drinkers as an alcohol-free (yet bubbly) celebratory drink. The cider is filtered until clear and light, resembling champagne.