I Tried 10 Hard Ciders & the Best Was Crisp and Refreshing

It wasn't so long ago that "cider" was seen as a niche or novelty beverage among American drinkers, who were generally accustomed to the non-alcoholic kind. However, the more potent, fermented apple-based beverage has quickly ripened into an undeniably popular category, becoming a staple in shop coolers and on store shelves across the U.S. And while once-hot segments like craft beer and hard seltzer might be showing signs of cooling off, the same can't be said for cider: Regional brands were up 5.8% and sales of canned ciders were up 7% year-on-year in January 2024, according to Nielsen sales data via the American Cider Association.

But even as a burgeoning category, cider is still in its adolescence as drinkers begin to explore the expanding options on shelves. Part of the beverage's "awkward phase" comes down to differences in liquor laws across the U.S., with some states classifying the beverage similarly to wine and limiting which stores can carry it. Still, this hurdle hasn't stopped brands from expanding where they can, attempting to attract new customers with exciting new flavor options and convenient packaging like 12-packs that make it as easy to stock up on as your favorite beer.

Cider has undergone a fundamental transformation in the way it tastes, too. The cloyingly sweet mass-produced brands that dominated the market just over a decade ago are now competing with drier, more refreshing options that don't overwhelm the palate. Feel like sipping on a crisp cider with lively, tight carbonation and a subtle ginger spiciness? Or want to swap in something dry, fruit-forward, and affordable for your glass of sparkling wine? There's likely more than one option at your nearest store!

One way you can determine the characteristics of a good cider is by looking at what seems to work best when serving them at a party or a friend's get-together. Typically, the ones that get scooped up the fastest—and I also personally enjoy the most—have lively apple and fruit aromas, vibrant bubbles, and a dry finish that leaves you wanting another sip.

I recently rounded up 10 enticing-looking varieties from a range of producers to find the best-tasting hard cider for fall. Read on to see what I thought about each cider, ranked from my least favorite to my top pick.

Stella Artois Cidre

This cider, produced by the world-famous Stella Artois brewery, clocks in at a relatively low 4.5% ABV. I picked up a 12-ounce bottle for $3.59.

The look: Even though it comes packaged in a clear glass bottle, this "European-style cider" looks very similar in color to its parent brewery's famous light lager. That coloring and the relatively simple label makes it something of a standout on the shelf amid some of the more assertive cans that dominate the market. Once poured, bubbles jump up and activate before largely disappearing, but some soft fizz still lingers and dance up through the glass.

The taste: The first sniff brings an immediate combination of cotton candy, hard candy, and even a strange hint of lager yeast that I first assumed was my brain playing a trick on me. A taste reveals there is a strange beer-like quality that muddies things a bit, despite a sugary sweet flavor profile where the 16 grams of added sugar become more apparent. Still, there's an acidity that cuts through this on the finish, making it slightly more refreshing than your average macro cider.

Ultimately, I couldn't shake the strange aromas and flavors that seem to jump out of nowhere. It's a little bit like ordering a cider at a dive bar where the server decides to pour into the same unwashed glass you just used for a beer. I doubt this is the kind of nuanced flavors customers are looking for in a cider.

 8 Best Fall Beers of 2024

Angry Orchard Crisp Apple

This cider is from Boston Beer, the makers of legendary Sam Adams Boston Lager. It's 5% ABV and cost $3.59 for a 12-ounce bottle. The company advertises that there's "two apples in every bottle" right on the label.

The look: This cider had a slightly richer shade of toasted gold when poured into a glass. It didn't appear overly foamy or create too much of a head.

The taste: At first blush, this has the most "traditional" and straightforward cider aromas, dominated by the scent of freshly pressed apples. It immediately covers the tongue with a ripe, almost candy apple-like flavor profile that's inching towards some of the more cloying brands of yesteryear. However, there's a touch of acidity that lends it some freshness, even though it's muddled during the sugary finish. While this isn't offensively sweet, it doesn't offer up much in the way of complexity, which might be a bonus if you're looking for something that's very middle of the road.

Brlo Rosé Cider

This pink cider hails from Berlin, Germany, and comes in at 4.5% ABV. The label says it's made with rhubarb, pomegranate, and apple wine—which is the German term for cider—and contains no other additives. It ran me $3.99 for a 12-ounce bottle.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The look: Like many brands, Brlo has taken a modern, minimalist approach to its labeling that is still eye-catching in its simplicity. The clear bottle makes it easy to tell what you're in store for, too: A rosy pink beverage that is similar in hue to sparkling rosé wine. However, unlike its grape-based counterpart, this one never develops any lingering mousse or dancing bubbles within the glass.

The taste: Once it's in a glass, your nose might pick up a candy-like aroma that's more akin to fruit salad than fresh orchard fruit, but it doesn't exactly leap into your nostrils. While it's not cloyingly sweet, the first sip hits the tongue hard with a fruity sweetness that veers on soda-like. In the same vein, carbonation on this "apple wine" is made of big, bold bubbles that further distance it from the fine pinpoint fizz you can find in some ciders, tackling the tongue instead of tickling it. Still, it's vaguely bright and refreshing in its own way, and it avoids the cloying flabbiness of many mass-produced ciders.

Unlike others, this bottle was available for single purchase at the store, meaning you don't necessarily have to commit to a six-pack. And for the price, it's not a bad deal for an import, either. This would be best served along with food, where its full body and fruity sweetness could be tempered a bit.

 9 Best Canned Wines, According to Sommeliers

Stowe High & Dry Cider

This Vermont-made cider comes in at 6.5% ABV. It's also packaged in a relatively large 19.2-ounce can, making it a heftier option that could potentially get shared. It still only cost me $4.09.

The look: This cider poured a vividly bright yellow gold in the glass with plenty of fine bubbles. I noticed a stark clarity similar to a glass of crisp white wine.

The taste: Pleasingly simple orchard fruit aromas and dried apple make up most of the nose, but aren't overpowering or too forceful from the glass. This was far and away the driest and most crisp of the ciders I tasted, coming through more as a bite of an underripe apple with the skin on and a crisp finish that even had some intriguing minerality to it. I almost felt like I was sipping on a crisp sauvignon blanc, as there wasn't even a hint of sweetness. But while this felt nice on my palate partway through a tasting gauntlet, I realized it was leaving my palate wanting a little more after a few sips. Still, I have to give it plenty of credit for how well it masks the relatively high booziness.

Austin Eastciders Original Dry Cider

I grabbed a 16-ounce can of this Texas-made cider for $3.99. It's 5% ABV and contains no artificial sweeteners. The brand also famously offers smaller format cans, and even sells mixed flavor variety packs in many grocery stores.

The look: This Texan cider poured a very pale shade of straw yellow in the glass, appearing very similar to a glass of prosecco or champagne. It produced a ring of fine foam around the sides of the glass that lingered for a while.

The taste: The nose didn't offer up too many hints outside of fruity sliced apple that had to be pulled up and out of the glass. I appreciated how easy-drinking and refreshing it was on the tongue, but after my third or fourth sip, I was left wishing for a little more of flavor profile to work with. It does have a pleasingly crisp finish and is miles away from the syrupy sweetness that would drive me away, but I might be tempted to try one of the brand's different flavored options to get a little more excitement out of it.

 I Tried 12 Ready-to-Drink Margaritas & The Best Tasted Like Summer

Downeast Original Blend

I grabbed a 12-ounce can of this 5.1% ABV cider for just $2.99. The company also produces a variety of year-round core and seasonal flavors, as well as 12-packs that are perfect for stocking up in bulk.

The look: Unlike a lot of other ciders on this list, Downeast stands out as an unfiltered option, which pours as a bright, hazy pale orange into the glass. You might assume it was a mimosa if you weren't paying attention.

The taste: The soft aroma of crushed apple skins immediately reminded me of being underneath a tree on a picking excursion and taking in the unmistakable whiff of smashed orchard fruit. After sipping, the first point I noticed was how silky a texture it had before carbonation hit my tongue that cuts some of the ripe apple sweetness. It's effortlessly drinkable and fun yet still refreshing, and feels like the kind of beverage you could sip on at brunch. I also can't help but think this also makes it a bit of a gateway cider for drinkers who might be wary of the category overall.

Citizen Cider Unified Press

I bought a 16-ounce can of this cider from Burlington, Vt., for $3.99. It's a relatively sessionable 5.2% ABV.

The look: This poured as one of the lightest and vividly clear ciders of the group as a pale straw color. It had plenty of fine bubbles that danced through the glass after pouring.

The taste: This cider has a pleasing nose that almost combines stewed apples with freshly smashed fruit. This fruitiness was also upfront on the palate when I took my first sip, where hints of baking spice cut through a sweetness that tasted like biting into a ripe apple. Make no mistake: This is not a cloying cider, but it managed to meld the the crisp finish with a medium-bodied fruitiness that I found pleasing and easy to drink.

What this cider lacks in complexity it makes up for in approachability, which is a difficult line to walk and something you have to appreciate. And while it's not flavored, it still has flavor elements that made it feel the most like a fall beverage, which might be exactly what drinkers are looking for in the end.

 I Tried 5 Ready-to-Drink Espresso Martinis & One Was a Clear Winner

Aval Gold French Cider

This cider from the Brittany region of France came in a four-pack that cost $10.49 at my local Whole Foods. It comes in at 6% ABV.

The look: True to its origins, this French cider is a rich amber-gold in the glass that produces a quickly dissipating head of big bubbles. A few trails of fine bubbles eventually started to form in the glass.

The taste: Even though it's produced at a larger scale, this cider still encapsulates many of the traditional characteristics of Brittany, with a complex and earthy nose that holds hints of barnyard and piles of dried leaves in the fall. My first sip immediately made me want to dive back in for another, with tart and juicy orchard fruit flavors coming together over fine carbonation and a crisp finish. This is perfect for anyone who has an interest in cider or has explored the unique styles made around the world, making it something like a field trip in a glass. And despite its relatively high alcohol content, it's still immensely drinkable and refreshing.

Wölffer Dry Rosé Cider

I bought a single 12-ounce bottle of this New York-made cider for $5.49. It clocks in at 6.9% ABV, which is relatively high for this list but not overly boozy. It's also available in four-packs and 750-milliliter bottles at some retailers.

The look: The clear glass bottle makes it easy to see this cider looks exactly like a Provence-style rosé wine before you even pour it. Its pale pink color becomes lighter—and somehow even more alluring—once it's in the glass.

The taste: Interestingly, even the nose on this has some elements of southern French rosé, with plenty of stone fruit and soft floral notes easily rising up from the glass. If I were blind tasting, I would still assume this was a sparkling rosé based off my first sip: Impressively fine carbonation is soothing on the tongue, while subtle orchard fruit flavors create a complex yet refreshingly crisp flavor profile. Riper fruit comes through on the finish, but not nearly enough to make it anything other than the "dry" cider it's advertised as. This could easily be a swap in at dinner for a bottle of French bubbly, and I'm personally planning on packing it in my cooler for my next beach day.

 10 Best Low-Carb Beers That Won't Ruin Your Diet

Shacksbury Classic Dry Cider: The Gold Standard

I got a 19.2-ounce can of this cider from Vermont for $3.99 at my local Whole Foods. It's a sessionable 5.2% ABV, and markets itself as "the gold standard for New England dry cider" on the back label.

The look: Even though it's sold in a can, this pours a beautiful golden yellow in the glass with plenty of tiny bubbles of carbonation dancing to the surface.

The taste: If I were blindfolded during this tasting, I would be convinced I was about to sip a chardonnay based on the aroma. The deeply pleasing fruity fragrance pulls you in for a sip, which hits the tongue with super fine carbonation. Bright golden apple and crisp fruit flavors dance around with incredible complexity before a clean, crisp, refreshing finish.

During my tasting, I found myself sneaking extra sips because of how much I enjoyed this cider. It's got everything I'm looking for: At 5.2%, it's as drinkable and sessionable as advertised, and it shares some of the best qualities of a well-made wine. It'll probably top my list for what I serve at my next party. You'd be wise to offer it, too.