Strawberry. Raspberry. Cherry. Blackcurrant. Fruit cider covers a huge range of flavours — and “fruit cider” doesn't really tell you very much on its own.
So, is strawberry cider actually made from strawberries?
Usually, fruit cider still starts with cider made from apples.
Other fruits, fruit juices or fruit flavours are then used to create the finished drink, depending on the producer and the style they're making.
Which means fruit cider isn't a separate point on the Dry-to-Sweet scale.
It's another layer of flavour altogether.
Think cider first, fruit second.
Fruit cider generally begins with an apple-cider base, with another fruit becoming part of the finished flavour.
That could mean strawberry, raspberry, cherry, blackcurrant, mango, rhubarb or all sorts of other combinations.
The fruit might be added as juice, concentrate, flavouring or in another form depending on the maker.
And just like traditional cider, fruit cider can also vary in sweetness, strength and overall character.
Fruit tells you what direction the flavour is going. It doesn't tell you the whole story.
Because there are several things changing at once.
Strawberry is going to give you a very different drink from blackcurrant, cherry or mango.
The apple-cider base still matters. A lighter base can create a very different result from a fuller, richer cider.
Fruit cider isn't automatically sweet. Some are noticeably sweeter than others, even when the fruit flavours sound similar.
At The Online Cider Shop we divide the fruit-cider range into Light Fruit and Dark Fruit.
These aren't official cider-industry classifications.
They're simply a useful way of helping you find the sort of fruit flavours you're more likely to enjoy.
Brighter, lighter fruit profiles — the sort of ciders that often feel fresher, livelier and more immediately refreshing.
Think along the lines of strawberry, raspberry, peach, tropical fruit and other lighter fruit combinations.
Discover Light Fruit Cider →Richer, deeper fruit profiles, usually built around darker berries and fuller fruit flavours.
Think blackberry, blackcurrant, cherry and similar darker-fruit combinations.
Discover Dark Fruit Cider →That's a bit like saying you like fruit.
A light strawberry cider and a rich blackcurrant cider can be completely different drinks.
You might love one and have no interest at all in the other.
That's why we think the useful question isn't simply whether you like fruit cider.
It's which fruit ciders you like.
Explore Dry, Medium Dry, Medium, Medium Sweet and Sweet in our guide to cider styles.
The fruit gives you a useful clue about where the flavour might be heading.
But the cider underneath, the sweetness and the way it's been made all still matter.
So don't write off Fruit Cider because you tried one flavour you didn't like.
Try a different fruit.
