Cider is a low alcoholic beverage made by fermenting fruit juices, particularly apples. Cider is often used synonymously with beer; however, cider is not beer and is very much different from it. Instead, the correct term is “hard cider”. The word “hard” is added to distinguish cider from apple cider, which has no alcohol content.

Cider is one of the most well-known alcoholic beverages globally but is still the odd apple out in a world of craft beer. Coming from “the humble apple,” cider’s history started way back in 55 BCE when Julius Caesar found Celtic Britons fermenting cider from crabapple, a fruit native to their land. As the Roman Empire rose to power, they brought a plethora of apple variations, orcharding methods and techniques, and cider-fermenting knowledge. In 600 BCE, when Christianity started becoming a dominant religion, monasteries began to plant orchards and make cider for the monks and general selling.

During the Norman invasion in 1066, they brought tannic apple varieties suitable for cider-making, planted more orchards, and invested in pressing technologies to support cider-making. This enabled cider manufacturing to become more efficient. Eventually, cider became one of the most popular drinks after ale. In 1204, cider continued gaining popularity across Europe and became a payment mode for rent, tithes, and even wages – this custom later continued in America. In 1620, apple trees were planted in the Massachusetts Bay Colony by European Colonists. When apple trees thrived, and grains and barley grown to make beer stunted, cider's place as one of America’s favourite beverages was cemented.

Cider’s worldwide popularity may have declined from the 1800s for several reasons. For one, the rise of the Industrial revolution caused apple orchards for cider-making to be abandoned, reducing their production as a result. Despite the decreasing global demand for cider, it’s still one of Britain’s most favoured drinks. Nowadays, it is slowly becoming more of an interest among younger drinkers because it is a gluten-free option as well as its local appeal and low alcohol by volume (ABV).

Beer and cider are two of the most popular drinks in the world, and their differences are characteristically apparent.

1. Ingredients

What sets  cider and beer apart is their main ingredient. Cider is made from fermenting apple juice, while beer is made from brewing and fermenting malted barley. Some beers may contain fruits and are flavoured with hops. Authentic cider won’t have any malted grains, which makes them gluten-free and safe for celiacs to drink. 

2. Colour and flavour

Cider appears orange, yellow, or brown in colour and can have a sweet or dry flavour. Sweet ciders are also called apple cider. This cider flavour, as we noted above, is non-alcoholic and has a fresh, tangy taste. Dry cider, may appear as a clear liquid, is less sweet but is high in alcohol content and has an evident apple aroma and flavour. It’s often recommended for cooking because it can be a great alternative to cooking recipes that require premium white wine.

Beer has a pale or dark colour. Its flavours are classified according to their brewing temperature. Ale is a beer brewed at a high temperature of 18°C to 20°C and has a sweeter and fruity taste. Lager, on the other hand, is a beer brewed at a low temperature of 13°C to 14°C and has gentle and mild-tasting flavours, often described as crisp.

3. Alcohol and sugar content

Although seemingly unassuming, ciders have an alcohol kick, despite its generally lower ABV compared to beers.  Cider typically has an alcohol content between 3% to 8.5%; however, some may go up to 12%. On the other hand, beer will always contain alcohol that ranges from 4% to 10%, but some may go up to 13%.

Because of its fermentation process, cider has higher sugar content and high carbohydrates than beer. Sweet cider undergoes slow fermentation to prevent the yeast from feeding on the natural sugars in cider, bringing about its sweeter flavours. In the case of dry cider, the fermentation process allows the yeast to consume all the natural sugars in cider. Therefore, it has lower sugar levels and higher alcohol content.

Did you know that beer is sugar-free? Beer may have a reputation of being a beverage causing “beer belly,” but the truth is, it doesn’t have any sugar content. The fermentation process causes the yeast to consume all the sugars from the malted barley to form alcohol. However, some brewers add more sugar to beer during fermentation to help balance the acidic taste and increase the alcohol level.

4. Health benefits

Moderate consumption of cider can provide health benefits such as the antioxidants, polyphenols, which aid the body in fighting against cell damage and free radicals. It’s also linked to easing body inflammation and lowering your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. In addition, polyphenols aid in delivering probiotics, which help digestion and promote better gastrointestinal health. The carbonation in sparkling cider also helps in relieving an upset stomach.

When it comes to beer, no natural antioxidants are present as they were removed because of the brewing process. However, when drunk moderately, beer is good for the heart. Beer is also rich in vitamins such as B vitamins, potassium, and magnesium.

Understanding how beer is made allows you to deeply appreciate your favourite drink. Brewing beer is a natural yet complex process as most beers we drink are made using the same ingredients – water, malted barley (starch source), yeast, and hops (flavouring) but require time and skill to master it. To give you an idea of how beer is made, it can be broken down into three steps:

1. Mashing and lautering

Brewing beer starts with mashing, where malted barley is soaked in hot water to activate the yeast’s natural enzymes to convert the start into sugar. The hot water activates the enzymes in yeast to create the beer’s base liquid, wort. Wort is the sugar solution that serves as nutrients for the yeast and eventually becomes the beer’s base liquid. This process is crucial in giving the beer its distinct characteristics in terms of flavour, colour, and body.

Lautering is a part of the beer brewing process where the wort produced is separated from the grain. It also ensures that the yeast is doing its job in creating wort. The brewer releases wort using the false bottom in the mash tank, and the liquid will then recirculate upward to be strained out of the mash and into a giant brewing kettle. Boiling water is poured over the leftover mash to remove excess sugary wort, which is added to the brewing kettle.

2. Boiling and fermentation

Wort is boiled at a very high temperature to remove any remaining oxygen and enzymes. This process helps stabilise the wort in preparation for the hops, which are responsible for giving the beer its distinct aroma and flavour, and adding bitterness to the taste to balance the sweetness from the wort. Hops also act as a preservative to inhibit bacterial growth, prolonging the beer’s shelf life. During the end of the boil, some brewers add more hops to increase and improve the beer’s flavour profile.

Once the boiling process is over, fermentation begins. It’s a two-part process that is essential in brewing beer. After the brew is cooled, the brewer will measure the Specific Gravity of the wort, indicating the beer’s density and the amount of dissolved sugar that needs to be converted to alcohol. During the first fermentation stage, the yeast gets to work and gobbles up all the sugars in the wort. Doing so will produce alcohol and carbon dioxide that give the beer its boozy fizz. The beer’s flavours will open up in the second fermentation stage, giving it its characteristic taste.

Fermentation also plays a role in separating beers into two types: ale and lager. Ale uses one kind of yeast at room temperature during fermentation, which settles at the top of the liquid after a week or two of being fully fermented. Lager uses a different yeast strain for fermentation and takes twice as long to fully ferment and settles at the bottom once fermented.

3. Bottling and conditioning

The brewer will then take the final gravity reading, typically around 1.010, indicating the amount of unfermented sugar left in the beer. This process determines the final alcoholic content of the beer. Once the alcohol levels are determined, the beer is canned, bottled, and kegged, ready to undergo conditioning. This process allows the beer to carbonate naturally for at least two weeks. After conditioning, the beer is ready to be delivered across Singapore and the world. 

Brewing great beer may not be a quick process; however, as the saying goes, “good things come to those who wait.”