What is the difference between French cider and English cider?
French cider (cidre) is usually lower in alcohol, sweeter and fruitier, often made by keeving and bottle-conditioned, while English cider is usually stronger, drier and more tannic. Both traditionally use bittersweet and bittersharp apples. French label terms such as brut and doux are defined by law; UK sweetness words are not.
Updated
French vs English cider at a glance
| French cider (cidre) | English cider | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin (BJCP) | North-west France, mainly Normandy and Brittany [1] | The West Country, south-west England [1] |
| Apples | Bittersweet and bittersharp [1] | Bittersweet and bittersharp [1] |
| Typical taste | Medium to sweet, full-bodied, rich, fruity [1] | Full-bodied, often seeming quite dry, long tannic finish [1] |
| Strength (BJCP style range) | 3–6% ABV [1] | 6–9% ABV [1] |
| Typical method | Keeving can slow fermentation; often bottle-carbonated [1] | Often fermented dry; may show smoky character from malolactic fermentation [1] |
| Label law | "Cidre" and brut/doux etc. defined by a 2025 decree [2] | Cider defined for duty; no legal sweetness bands [3] |
BJCP says its numbers are general guidelines, not absolutes.
Why do they taste different?
- Sweetness by method. French makers often keep natural sugar by slowing fermentation (keeving), so the cider is sweeter and lower in alcohol. English cider is more often fermented to dryness. [1]
- Tannin and balance. Both use tannic cider apples, but French cider is "often made sweeter to balance" the tannin, while English cider relies on tannin for structure. [1]
- Legal minimums differ. In France, "cidre" allows at most 50% concentrate in the must, and "pur jus" means none. [2] In the UK, cider for duty needs at least 35% apple or pear juice, which may come from concentrate; see what counts as cider in the UK. [3]
- Protected names. Cidre Pays d'Auge and Cornouaille are French AOPs; Herefordshire Cider is a UK PGI. [4] [5] [6]
Related answers: where cider is made in England · where to buy French cider · dry vs sweet and sugar
Find it on Cider Radar
- France: 226 makers · United Kingdom: 275 makers (as of 2026-10-02).
- Guide: French cidre · Guide: English cider
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Cider, perry, calvados and pommeau are alcoholic drinks. Enjoy responsibly and follow the legal drinking age where you live.
Questions
Which is sweeter, French or English cider?
French cider usually. BJCP describes French cider as medium to sweet and English cider as often seeming quite dry. [1]
What is keeving?
A French technique (défécation) that slows fermentation by starving the yeast of nutrients, so natural sweetness is left. [1]
Sources
- 2025 Cider Style Guidelines: C1 Traditional Cider — BJCP
- Décret n° 2025-162 relatif aux cidres et aux poirés — Légifrance (French Government)
- Alcoholic products technical guide: section 2, alcoholic products — HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK)
- Cahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine « Pays d'Auge » (cidre): non pasteurisé, prise de mousse en bouteille — IDAC (Interprofession des appellations cidricoles), copy of the INAO specification
- Cornouaille (AOP cidre) — INAO
- Herefordshire Cider (PGI) — Defra (GOV.UK)