How to make pear cider at home?

To make pear cider at home, crush and press ripe pears, or start from pure pear juice, and ferment it as you would apple juice. Table pears give a fruity Common Perry; perry pears give a tannic Heirloom Perry. Skip malolactic fermentation, and expect some haze: perry is hard to clear.

Updated 2026-10-20

Key facts

Mostly pears. BJCP perry is the fermented juice of crushed pears, with pear as the majority of the fruit. [1]
Pick the pear for the style. Table pears give Common Perry; perry pears give Heirloom Perry. [1]
No MLF. Perries should not undergo malolactic fermentation, because acetification may result. [1]

How is a home batch different from apple cider?

The equipment and steps are the ones in how to make cider at home; how commercial and traditional perry is made is covered in how perry is made. BJCP's perry notes give four pear-specific points to plan for: [1]

Haze is normal. Perries are notoriously difficult to clear, so a slight haze is not a fault.
Sorbitol. Pears contain this unfermentable sugar alcohol, so a fully dry perry can still taste sweet. Don't judge dryness by taste alone.
Skip MLF. It can lead to acetification (vinegar notes).
Yeast can be natural or cultured, as with cider.

Which pears should I use?

Table pears, for example Bartlett, Kiefer, Comice and Conference: mildly fruity Common Perry, usually semi-dry to semi-sweet, 5–8% ABV. [1]
Perry pears, for example Butt, Gin, Brandy, Barland, Blakeney Red, Thorn and Moorcroft: Heirloom Perry, with more tannin and a more complex pear flavour, 4–9% ABV. [1]

Can I use ordinary dessert pears?

Yes. Washington State University's cider programme made perry from dessert pears (Comice, Conference and Concorde) and found that a good quality perry can be produced without perry pears. [2] Perry pear varieties often have more tannin and acid than dessert pears, and WSU notes that, unlike cider apples, they contain unfermentable sugars such as sorbitol, which leave some sweetness even in the driest perries. [2] Ripeness matters: WSU says Blakeney Red fruit must be at proper maturity, as it quickly becomes over-ripe. [2]

What to call the result on a label: perry vs pear cider.

Related answers: how is perry made · how to make cider at home

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Cider, perry, calvados and pommeau are alcoholic drinks. Enjoy responsibly and follow the legal drinking age where you live.

Questions

Why does my dry perry taste sweet?

Pears contain sorbitol, an unfermentable sugar alcohol, which can make a dry perry seem sweet. How strongly people taste it varies. [1]

Sources

2025 BJCP Cider Style Guidelines (v2) — Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP)
Perry — Washington State University, WSU Cider