Cider Means Two Different Drinks Across the Atlantic
Cider is a drink made from apples. In Britain it is alcoholic by default; in the United States it usually is not.
Cider is a drink made from apples. Which drink depends on where you are: in Britain, Ireland and Australia cider is alcoholic and served like beer, while in the United States and Canada cider means unfiltered apple juice, and the alcoholic version has to be called *hard cider*. The word came through French from Latin and Greek, and further back from a Hebrew word for strong drink, *shekhar*.
- Alcoholic apple drink (UK). *A pint of cider.*
- Unfiltered apple juice (US). *A jug of cider.*
- Hard cider — the American term for the alcoholic kind. *Hard cider.*
- Perry — the pear equivalent. *A glass of perry.*
- Scrumpy — strong rough farm cider, British. *West Country scrumpy.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | cider | Dry cider. |
| Plural | ciders | Local ciders. |
| Compound | cider vinegar | Cider vinegar. |
| Related | perry | Pear perry. |
| Hebrew | shekhar | Strong drink. |
- A pint of dry cider, please.British: alcoholic.
- Hot cider with cinnamon.American: juice.
- Perry is made from pears.The cousin drink.
Apple drinks, sorted
- Cider (UK) — fermented, alcoholic
- Cider (US) — fresh unfiltered juice, cloudy
- Hard cider (US) — the fermented kind
- Apple juice — filtered and clear
- Calvados — apple brandy, distilled from cider
Old French *sidre*, from Late Latin *sicera*, from Greek *sikera*, from Hebrew *shekhar*, strong drink. The apple sense narrowed in medieval Europe.
Is cider alcoholic?
In Britain and Ireland, yes by default. In the United States, cider is usually juice and the alcoholic drink is hard cider.
What is perry?
The pear equivalent of cider, fermented from pear juice. It is sometimes sold as pear cider.