Is cider vinegar the same as apple cider vinegar?

Yes, cider vinegar is the same as apple cider vinegar. In the US, FDA labelling guidance treats "cider vinegar" and "apple vinegar" as the same product, made by fermenting apple juice first into alcohol and then into acetic acid. Apple cider vinegar starts as apple juice fermented into alcoholic (hard) cider.

Updated 2026-10-02

Key facts

Same product. FDA's Compliance Policy Guide lists "vinegar, cider vinegar, apple vinegar" together: "the product made by the alcoholic and subsequent acetous fermentations of the juice of apples". [1]
Strength. Natural vinegars normally contain over 4 g of acetic acid per 100 ml; diluted vinegar should never be below 4%. [1]
Two fermentations. The Vinegar Institute describes cider vinegar as made from "the two-fold fermentation of the juices of apples". [2]
Not from dried apples. In 1924 the US Supreme Court held that vinegar made from dried apples could not be sold as "apple cider vinegar". [3]

What is the difference between apple cider vinegar and cider?

	Apple cider vinegar	Cider (alcoholic)
Made by	Yeast, then acetic acid bacteria [1]	Yeast fermentation of apple juice [4]
Main product	Acetic acid, at least 4% at retail in the US [2]	Alcohol
Used as	Food ingredient	Drink

Is apple vinegar the same as apple cider vinegar?

Yes. FDA guidance lists "vinegar, cider vinegar, apple vinegar" as one product, made by the alcoholic and then acetous fermentation of apple juice, so all three names are accepted on a label. [1] "Apple cider vinegar" is simply a common US label name: in US English, "cider" can also mean apple juice, so the extra word does not change the product. [5] What does differ is "vinegar made from" dried apples, cores or peels, which may not be sold under these names. [1] How the two fermentations work is explained in how apple cider vinegar is made.

Related on Cider Radar

Guide: how cider is made, the first step on the way to cider vinegar
Glossary: fermentation

Questions

Is apple cider vinegar the same as cider?

No. It starts as apple juice fermented into alcoholic (hard) cider, which bacteria then turn into acetic acid. The result is vinegar, not a drink. [1]

Is vinegar made from dried apples cider vinegar?

Not in the US. FDA guidance says it should be labelled "vinegar made from" dried apples, apple cores or peels, following a 1924 Supreme Court case. [1] [3]

Sources

CPG Sec. 525.825 Vinegar, Definitions – Adulteration with Vinegar Eels — US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Vinegar FAQs — The Vinegar Institute
United States v. Ninety-Five Barrels (More or Less) Alleged Apple Cider Vinegar, 265 U.S. 438 (1924) — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
2025 BJCP Cider Style Guidelines (Introduction) — Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP)
cider (definition) — Cambridge Dictionary