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Guide to supermarket cider
Due to the difficulty of finding Real cider you may be tempted to put up with something inferior from your local supermarket, only to be faced with a bewildering choice. So here are some guidelines for the discerning cider buyer, arranged in descending order of preference:
| type | description | verdict |
| 1. Real cider | It is sometimes possible to find this in larger stores, usually in 2 litre flagons with a cloudy appearance and a ring of yeast sediment around the bottom. When you get home, put it in the fridge for an hour or so and then enjoy with a nice curry. | Don't miss an opportunity. |
| 2. Organic cider | This is made from organic apples and then processed into small bottles. It's usually pasteurised and filtered rather than alive, but at least you know where the ingredients come from. | Pricey, but quite nice. |
| 3. Single Varietal Ciders | Some of the medium sized producers have started making ciders made from one single type of apple rather than a blend. One from Normandy made from "Gros Oeillet" is very good and so is "Katy" from Somerset. Look at the alcohol content, because there is one in the same range at only 3% ABV which is very sweet and light, but not really much like cider. | Tasty |
| 4. Premium bottled ciders |
These could be "own brand" or from one of the medium sized producers, and may be labelled as "Westcountry style" "Matured in Oak Vats" or "Traditional", perhaps naming a county of origin. We're starting to get into dangerous territory already. The line should really be drawn above or below this section. |
worth a try |
| 5. Own Brand "Extra Strong Dry Cider" | At least this is fairly neutral tasting and doesn't usually have artificial sweetener added. | if you must |
| 6. Cider labelled with "Humourous" cartoons |
You know, drawings of peasants in smocks, chickens, references to drunkenness and impotence. This is aimed at tourists to the Westcountry who have heard something about "scrumpy" but don't know what it is. Nearly always a nasty, inferior drink. |
Don't encourage them. |
| 7. The usual advertised Brands | No discernable taste of apples, but some dubious adjuncts. Horribly fizzy and full of sulphur dioxide. | Not good. |
| 8. Anything with "white" in the name |
This is just cheap strong alcohol which is called "cider" for tax purposes. It could be made out of corn syrup or anything, with flavouring and saccharin added. Read the description on the can or bottle but don't buy any, or you'll regret it. |
Not even for cooking with |
Of course not everyone would agree with the exact positioning of each category, and since posting this table we've received a couple of replies.
Roy Bailey helpfully added this about single varietal ciders...
"I can thoroughly recommend Sheppy's Dabinett, Kingston Black and
Tremlett's Bitter, though they are not absolutely real - being
carbonated but still very tasty. Of the three my favourite is Dabinett,
which goes against all the received wisdom, i.e., the best single
varietal is Kingston Black and Dabinett is not suitable for that
purpose. Prove this wrong by trying some! They are certainly available
in Waitrose."
And Paul Gunningham took issue with my opinion of "humorous cartoon cider"
"I disagree! Last year, arriving in South Devon I was desperate for some
cider and it was too late in the evening to go to the local cider mills, so
I bought some "Really Fowl Cider", "Cripple Cock" etc. which
was all the
local offie had (apart from the industrial chemical stuff you mention
further down the list - "Shite Lightning" and the like). I was pleasantly
surprised by its quality and taste - until I read the small print on the
label and realised the address was the same as Thatcher's ;-) Yes, the image
is a bit naff and clearly aimed at tourists, but it's good quality stuff
with plenty of flavour nonetheless - a good standby if you can't get
anything better."
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