Does dry cider have less sugar?
Yes, dry cider has less sugar left in it, because the yeast has turned most of the apple sugar into alcohol. In BJCP's guidelines a dry cider has under 0.4% residual sugar, against more than 4% for a sweet one. Taste can mislead: acidity, tannin, sweeteners and, in perry, sorbitol all change how sweet a drink seems.
Updated
How much sugar is in dry, medium and sweet cider?
BJCP 2025 sweetness bands, by residual sugar (RS). BJCP calls them approximate. [1]
| Level | Residual sugar |
|---|---|
| Dry | under 0.4% |
| Semi-dry | 0.4–0.9% |
| Medium | 0.9–2% |
| Semi-sweet | 2–4% |
| Sweet | over 4% |
A dry cider can still taste sweet. UK cider rules permit sweeteners such as sucralose and saccharin, which add sweetness without sugar, and perry pears can contain sorbitol, "a non-fermentable, sweet-tasting sugar alcohol". [2] [3] Why a dry cider can taste sweet is explained in perceived sweetness.
What do brut, demi-sec and doux mean on French cider?
A 2025 French decree, in force since 1 July 2025, reserves four sweetness terms. [4]
| Term | Actual alcohol | Density at 20 °C |
|---|---|---|
| Doux | 3% ABV or less | 1.024 or more |
| Demi-sec | over 3% ABV | over 1.016 |
| Brut | 3.5% ABV or more | 1.016 or less |
| Extra brut | 5% ABV or more | under 1.013 |
Lower density generally means less sugar left, so extra brut is the driest of the four. The decree does not apply to ciders legally made in other EU or EEA countries or in Turkey. [4]
Does dry cider have fewer calories?
Not necessarily. Alcohol has 7 kcal per gram and sugar 4 kcal per gram, so a cider's strength matters as much as its sweetness. [5] [6] The figures are in how many calories are in cider.
Related answers: which cider is the sweetest · perry vs pear cider
Find it on Cider Radar
- Guide: cider sweetness levels
- Glossary: dry · brut · demi-sec · doux
- In Cider Radar, drinkers rate each cider's sweetness on its own scale.
- Open the map: app.ciderradar.com · iPhone · Android
Cider, perry, calvados and pommeau are alcoholic drinks. Enjoy responsibly and follow the legal drinking age where you live.
Questions
Does UK law define dry cider?
HMRC's cider duty guidance defines cider by juice content, ingredients and strength, not by sweetness, so "dry" on a UK label is the maker's description. [7]
Sources
- 2025 BJCP Cider Style Guidelines (Introduction) — Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP)
- Permitted ingredients for cider duty — HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK)
- 2025 Cider Style Guidelines: C4 Perry — BJCP
- Décret n° 2025-162 relatif aux cidres et aux poirés — Légifrance (French Government)
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIV: Conversion factors — legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (official EU text) — EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the European Union)
- Alcoholic products technical guide: section 2, alcoholic products — HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK)