Weak cyser - what is it?

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MourneMead

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 6, 2013
190
0
0
Northern Ireland
Hi,

I wonder if anyone could help.

From a legal point of view, is a weak cyser (<7.5%) considered a wine, or a cider?

many thanks for any help

MourneMead
 
Hi,

I wonder if anyone could help.

From a legal point of view, is a weak cyser (<7.5%) considered a wine, or a cider?

many thanks for any help

MourneMead

I'm guessing anything under 7.5% is cider, seen as all the cheapo rocket-fuel ciders cap out at 7.5% (this used to be 8.4% a few years back?). I read these aren't made from pure juice and have glucose syrup etc added, so I would think honey is fine....

Hrmm from HM Revenue & Customs website:

"2.1 What is cider?

In the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979, 'cider' is defined as 'cider or perry of a strength exceeding 1.2 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV) but less than 8.5 per cent ABV obtained from the fermentation of apple or pear juice without the addition at any time of any alcoholic liquor or of any liquor or substance which communicates colour or flavour other than such as the Commissioners may allow as appearing to them to be necessary to make cider or perry' - see paragraph 5.5 and section 25.

In addition, from 1 September 2010, the cider definition was extended to provide that 'the pre-fermentation mixture satisfies the pre-fermentation requirement' and the cider 'satisfies the final product juice requirement' - for further details see section 30."
 
Thanks all,

That's what I figured though the definitions are a bit murky (a bit like my cyser :) )

I think the "rules" around official cider production are slightly more relaxed that around wine production (probably partly down to the strenght) but it seems that the inclusion of apple juice is the defining factor in saying if something is a cider or not.

Quite a few of my friends like the fruit cider type drinks so I'd like to up the game and be able to offer them an alternative mead