How is French cider made?

Key facts

• Apples. French cider uses bittersweet and bittersharp apples, and "it can have a higher tannin level, but it is often made sweeter to balance". [1]
• Keeving. BJCP 2025 says "The French technique of défécation (keeving in English) can be used to slow fermentation by depriving nutrients." [1]
• The legal minimum. A French cidre needs at least 5% total alcohol and 1.5% actual alcohol, except for alcohol-free cider; a cidre bouché needs 5.5% total alcohol. [2]

How is French cider made, step by step?

1. Harvest and store. Ripe cider apples are collected in autumn; see the glossary entry for bittersweet apples.
2. Grind and press. The apples are milled and pressed; the equipment is covered in how a cider press works.
3. Keeve. In the traditional method, nutrients are removed from the juice before fermentation, so the yeast works slowly. [1] The glossary entry for keeving explains the method.
4. Ferment slowly. Cool, slow fermentation keeps natural sweetness; BJCP notes that "Salts may be adjusted and nutrients may be deprived to arrest fermentation." [1]
5. Bottle. Many ciders are bottled before fermentation ends, so the remaining sugar gives a natural sparkle. AOP Pays d'Auge and Cornouaille ciders take their sparkle in the bottle and are not pasteurised. [3] [4]

How strong is French cider?

French cider is alcoholic. Besides the legal minimum of 5% total alcohol, BJCP 2025 gives a typical range of 3–6% ABV for the style. [2] [1] Because fermentation is stopped early, sweeter ciders are lighter: a doux cidre has 3% actual alcohol or less, while an extra brut has 5% or more. [2] The difference between actual and total alcohol is the sugar still in the bottle; what doux, demi-sec, brut and extra brut mean for sweetness is explained in does dry cider have less sugar and the cider sweetness guide. In the EU and UK, drinks with more than 1.2% alcohol must show their actual alcoholic strength on the label. [5] [6] For Spain, see does Spanish cider have alcohol.

What do the French rules allow?

French rules also allow blending, sweetening, enrichment for the second fermentation, concentration and pasteurisation, under conditions set by ministerial order. [2] The word "bouché" is reserved for cider with at least 3 g/l of carbon dioxide, sold in sparkling-wine type bottles of 37.5 cl or more with mushroom corks. [2] What bouché means on the label is explained in is cider carbonated, and the rules for "artisanal" in what artisanal cider is.

Is French perry made the same way?

Largely, yes. French poiré is pressed and fermented like cidre, but from perry pears. The Domfront AOP, the only French appellation for a poiré, is made from pure fresh juice of perry pears, with more than 40% of the Plant de Blanc variety, and gets its sparkle in the bottle naturally. [7] For how perry differs from pear-flavoured cider, see perry vs pear cider.

Related answers: where French cider is made · French vs English cider

Find it on Cider Radar

• Cider makers in France: 226 makers listed (as of 2026-10-02), including Normandy (114).
• Guide: French cidre · Glossary: keeving
• You can order directly from the maker in Cider Radar (iOS, Android and web).
• 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.