In the UK it's generally understood that cider is made from apples, so why do Americans use the term "apple cider"? Are there any other kinds of cider that are not made from apples?

robboy

All this talk lately about apples has me staying close to the bathroom, but I'll try to explain how it's done here. Cider isn't the only way we drink apple liquid; we have apple juice, apple cider and hard apple cider. The juice is simply apple juice (usually from concentrate) that's sweetened. Cider is fermented and if it contains alcohol, it's hard cider and simply apple cider if it doesn't. [Dec 22 04 8:40 PM] robboy writes: Apples are pretty much it, except for the enterprising moonshiner who might use whatever was in abundance. I imagine they say apple cider just because folks would always be asking, 'What kind of cider is that?' (As one entry - McG) Dec 22 04, 8:18 PM

Baloo55th

Any cider is made from apples, but not everything made from apples is cider. In the UK there's apple juice (non-alcoholic) and cider (alcholic varying from Woodpecker at about 2.5% to stuff at 12-13%). They've probably heard in the US of something made from pears and aren't sure that it's called perry (alcoholic, strengths as cider but naturally sweeter) so they stick apple in front. Dec 22 04, 8:36 PM

griffinj

Here's a place selling pear and berry cider. http://www.acecider.com/ Dec 22 04, 9:01 PM

philsgirl

Americans who live in my state say things like "tuna fish" and "beef steak". I think "apple cider" is another one of those things. Dec 22 04, 11:54 PM