The Best Cider for Crisp Autumn Days

What better way to embrace the warm hues and cosy joys of autumn than with a crisp cider? For years, cider was underappreciated but now it’s back and a lot of that is down to the success and invention of flavoured ciders, many of which suit fall perfectly.

Original apple cider, whether hearty or light, still or fizzy, sweet or sharp, and everything in between, is also blossoming and we’ve picked out some ciders from both categories that, once you’ve had a sip by a roaring fire, will be the apple of your eye.

APPLE CIDERS

Thatchers Vintage

Thatchers recently revamped their Vintage and it’s all the better for it, with a new premium 8.3% appealing to seasoned cider drinkers. Entirely produced at Myrtle Farm, traditional bittersweet apples are pressed with lighter apples for a deep, full and rich flavour with crisp sparkle and medium-dry feel. Delicious to wash down a Sunday lunch, especially pork.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 8.3%
Find here: £2.35

Henry Westons Vintage Cider

We already shouted out this cider in our Best of British article, but it’s perfect for autumn so here we go again! Their vintage is one of, if not the bestselling cider in the UK, and for an 8.2% that’s impressive but when you taste it you know why. Medium dry, with a deep oaky flavour, it’s got an easy drinking mellow personality with a full-bodied mouthfeel. It’s unashamedly and unapologetically all about the apple too, with a slight tartness, gentle fizz and perfectly poised touch of sweetness.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 8.2%
Find here: £2.35

Armagh Cider Carsons Crisp

This Northern Irish cider was inspired by the crunch of footsteps walking on snow, so it set out to be crisp and fresh from the start. Made in County Armagh, Carsons Crisp represents great value with gentle, light cider that feels remarkably fresh but sleek also. The flavours are subtle enough to pair well with food too.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 4.5%
Find here: £2.99

Burrow Hill Fermented Stoke Red

Burrow Hill has been an iconic site for cider production going back centuries and all this expertise has led to huge competition success, the epitome of which is this traditional method cider. Made from 100% Stoke Red apples in the depths of Somerset, its secondary fermentation is a year long giving time for woody spice to infuse with blood orange and dried apple. It’s bone dry, ripe, velvety and if you’ve never taken to cider before, then a premium beauty like this is a great way to give it a second chance.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 11.5%
Find here: £16.50

FLAVOURED CIDERS

Kopparberg Spiced Apple

This is one that comes in and out of stock which is strange because although it is seasonal, it goes down so well. The original Kopparberg apple is mixed with the winter warmer that is cinnamon to create a delicate yet intense woody aroma. The balance here is spot on, with just the right levels of sweet and spice and it’s another cider that you need to try warm on a cold autumn night – simply heat in a pan until warm but do not boil.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 4%
Find here: £2

Brothers Toffee Apple Cider

Of course, when it comes to autumn, we can’t look beyond a Toffee Apple cider. If you really don’t get on with sweet ciders, then this may not be for you but a bottle of this around Halloween or on a brisk evening is delicious. The distinct toffee apple flavour is recognisable straight away, and mixing with crisp apple and cream soda, it’s so nostalgic. Brothers have also got a very appetising Hot Toffee Apple Toddy recipe here!

Size: 500ml
ABV: 4%
Find here: £2.45

Gospel Green Raspberry '17 Cider

This Hampshire cidermaker expertly make some delicious high-end vintages, such as their Brut, but for autumn their Raspberry 2017 vintage is the perfect match. The subtle sweetness of fresh raspberry decorates the robust apple foundation deliciously, transitioning from summer to autumn. Classy, unique, and refreshing.  

Size: 750ml
ABV: 8.4%
Find here: £9.95

Napton Cidery Spiced Ginger Cider

Napton started as a simple hobby to avoid the village’s apples going to waste, but now their shelves are strained with awards and they’re making cider splash after cider splash. We could have easily recommended their dreamy blackcurrant blend, but then we heard about their Limited Edition Spiced Ginger. Infused with a mulled spice syrup, this still cider is brimming with cinnamon and ginger and even more so when served warm – though cold is delicious too.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 4%
Find here: £10.70

If you want more cider recommendations, then check out our Best of British guide here!

The Best British Ciders To Try

For a long time, cider lagged behind British icons such as craft beer, gin, and whisky but that is changing. Over the last decade, modern British cider has generated more and more anticipation and interest, and competition is intense.

For those of you that want to explore the flourishing scene, or for those card-carrying cider guzzlers who want to try something different, explore our tried and tested Best British Ciders below, just in time for World Cider Day!

WHAT IS CIDER?

In a nutshell, cider is an alcoholic drink most commonly made using fermented apple juice, so similar to the winemaking process. However, because the fruits used contain less sugar, the alcoholic content normally ends up being lower. It’s been around since the Romans, but in the 13th century it really took off when people found out it was actually safer to drink than the water in many places!

Often more associated with beer, cider is more like wine in that the terroir, temperature, and apples (though not just apples!) create completely unique and varying regional profiles. From dry to sweet and modern to traditional, every cider is different.

It’s worth pointing out that in America, ‘hard cider’ is alcoholic but ‘sweet cider’ is often more of a fruit juice. France, Spain and the USA all produce fantastic ciders, but British Cider is some of the finest so let’s get stuck into the most common kind of cider you’ll find – apple.

APPLE CIDERS

Cornish Orchards Golden Cider

Cornwall produces some mouth-watering ciders, and this is a classical fruit-forward expression. Fantastically fizzy, a variety of bittersweet and dessert apples dominate this crisp and ultra refreshing cider. For a hot summer day, a chilled serve of this is perfection – clean, ridiculously easy-drinking and full of flavour.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 5%
Find here: £2

Henry Westons Vintage Cider

Since Henry in 1879, generations of the Weston family have been producing cider in the Hereford village of Much Marcle. They scooped a double gold for this Vintage and their cloudy version at the Cider Masters Awards last year, and for another cider, we’ll revisit later! This mellow but full-bodied blend carries an oaky, deep flavour that allows apple to be the star of the show, in a silky smooth medium dry mouthfeel. There’s a reason it’s one of the UK’s most popular ciders and at 8.2%, it really is dangerously moreish.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 8.2%
Find here: £2.10

Burrow Hill Sparkling Cider

Cider has been made at Burrow Hill for centuries and all this experience has led to huge success at the national championships. Behind that gorgeously designed bottle is a medium dry pour revealing red apple skins and autumnal notes of warming cinnamon and zesty orange. At the centre of it of course, is the apple, eleven varietals of which meld for a robust and bittersweet flavour. This also screams food-friendly and would be a great one to crack open at the BBQ. Burrow Hill is also home to the innovative Somerset Cider Brandy which is definitely worth a look and a try too!

Size: 500ml
ABV: 6%
Find here: £3.15

Gospel Green Brut Cider

Hailing from Hampshire, this is a premium pale gold cider made using the same production techniques as Champagne. Double fermentation adds new levels of complexity with tantalising elderflower and brioche supporting the zip of green apples. With fine bubbles, light acidity, and velvety smoothness, this traditionally made expression is a fantastic cider to try if you love sparkling wines and want something new.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 8.4%
Find here: £12.99

FLAVOURED CIDERS

Thatchers Blood Orange Cider

This is a stunning sweeter style of cider flavoured with natural blood orange for sweet, tangy, and floral feel. Sweet apples like Fuji and Gala have been picked to make this bottle of summertime that hits with flavoursome fizz before mellowing into well-balanced vibrance. Some flavoured ciders are sickly sweet, but even at 4% ABV, this gets it just right.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 4%
Find here: £2.30

Brothers Toffee Apple Cider

Brothers are relatively new kids on the block and have already built a reputation for experimenting with all kinds of curious flavours from Cherry Bakewell to Rhubarb and Custard. Beginning life as a stall at Glastonbury in 1995, drinkers wanted to buy the cider all year round and the rest is history. Their Festival Apple is the go-to cider for the upcoming festival, but it’s their Toffee Apple that we want to shout about. Undeniably, this is a sweet cider that won’t appeal to some, but we say give it a chance. There are still subtle sharp apple notes, but mostly it’s that instantly recognisable toffee apple flavour with vanillery cream soda. A far cry from traditional farmhouse apple cider sure, but for something totally unique as a treat, it’s delicious.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 4%
Find here: £2.45

Napton Cidery Recipe No5

For such a new producer, Napton has made a big cider splash. What started as a hobby making use of unwanted apples from the nearby village has become a top-class cidery on the national and even international stage. Recognized by the great taste awards and International Cider Challenge, their only fruit cider, blackcurrant, is dreamy. Fresh blackcurrants bring all the sweetness to a super elegant and refined cider.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 4%
Find here: £3.50

Lilley's Mango Cider

Somerset producer Lilley’s provides a fantastically varied range, but their Mango is a favourite of ours. It’s light and aromatic but with exotic mango sweetness providing great oomph. There is no cloying sweetness and certainly no blandness, just sunny refreshment, and fantastic natural flavour. It’s also a dream to wash down Indian food with.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 4%
Find here: £2.35

NO/LOW CIDERS

Westons - Stowford Press Low Alcohol 0.5% Cider

One of the highlights of the most recent Cider Masters was the high-standard of low-alcohol entries, and this Stowford Press cider has stunning depth of flavour and character, earning it the Gold medal (the latest in a growing list of gongs by the way). Bittersweet with apple and honey notes, it’s gorgeously smooth and refreshing and makes for the perfect summer sipping alternative.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 0.5%
Find here: £1.80

Prefer cocktails on a sunny day? Check out The Most Popular Cocktails for Summer here! Or how about combining the two with these glorious Summer Cider Cocktails!?