[22] It is an altered form of Church Latin sicera "fermented drink",[22] itself borrowed from Greek sīkéra, ultimately from Hebrew šēkār, "intoxicating liquor".

The first recorded reference to cider dates back to Julius Caesar's first attempt to invade Britain in 55 BCE where he found the native Celts fermenting crabapples.

In fact, the variables were nearly too widespread to track, including: spontaneous fermentation, the type of vessels used, environmental conditions, and the apple varieties.

[31] Common culinary apples used in modern ciders include McIntosh, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Gala, and Fuji.

[31] In Canada, some cideries market "Loyalist-style" ciders, which are notably dry and made with McIntosh apples, a Canadian heritage varietal.

[41] Steps taken before fermentation might include fruit or juice blending, titratable acidity and pH measurements and sometimes adjustments, and sulfur dioxide and yeast additions.

The fermenting of the remaining available sugar generates a small amount of carbon dioxide that forms a protective layer, reducing air contact.

Higher quality ciders can be made using the champagne method, but this is expensive in time and money and requires special corks, bottles, and other equipment.

[69] However, limiting YAN should be done in moderation because too little nitrogen can lead to an increase in hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production which is responsible for a rotten egg-like smell.

Extending the time during which the cider remains in contact with yeast lees increased concentrations of most of the minor volatile compounds present, especially fatty acids, ethyl esters and alcohols.

Wild yeast populations can be incredibly diverse and commonly include species of Saccharomyces, Candida, Pichia, Hanseniaspora and Metschnikowia.

[74] Indigenous yeast strain population dynamics are affected by climatic conditions, apple variety, geographic location, and cider making technologies used.

[76] Unique autochthonous yeast populations promote different compositions of volatile flavour compounds, which form distinct tastes, aromas, and mouthfeel in finished ciders.

A branded sweet perry known as Babycham, marketed principally as a women's drink and sold in miniature champagne-style bottles, was once popular in the UK but has become unfashionable.

Austria's most popular sparkling cider Goldkehlchen is produced in south Styria and marketed internationally since 2013 by the company founders Adam and Eva.

Zonhoven-based Konings NV specialises in private label ciders for European retailers and offers a wide variety of flavours and packaging options to the beverage industry.

The earliest mentions of cider in this country go back to the Greek geographer Strabo: he speaks of the profusion of apple trees in Gaul and describes a cider-like drink.

[94] Present laws and regulations are favourable to cider makers, but production has only survived in a few alpine locations, mostly in the regions of Trentino, and in Piedmont, where it is known as vin ëd pom (apple wine) or pomada, because it traditionally was left to ferment in a vat along with grape pomace, giving it a distinctive reddish colour.

The beverage, an alcopop made by blending sparkling water, fruit flavouring, malt, and cider, is marketed towards female drinkers as an alternative to beer.

At the same time, Heineken also introduced Strongbow Gold as a secondary brand to provide the choice of a real cider, which was targeted to a male audience.

[97] Although they can hardly be marketed, in line with the law of 1975 prohibiting all advertising of alcoholic beverages of ABV above 2.5%,[98] therefore the products receive little exposure despite a few favourable press reviews.

In the summer of 2014, Minister of Economy Janusz Piechociński supported in vain the creation of a draft law to legalise television cider publicity.

[citation needed] The making and drinking of cider is traditional in several areas of northern Spain, mainly Galicia, the Principality of Asturias, Cantabria, and the Basque Country.

Cider tasting events are popular in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, where stalls are set up on the street selling the drink from several producers at cheap prices and served until stock runs out.

Cider is produced commercially in every Canadian province except Newfoundland and Labrador, usually with a 5–7% alcohol content although the term is also used for some non-fermented apple juices.

[citation needed] A popular drink in China is called "Apple cider vinegar" (Chinese: 苹果醋; pinyin: Píngguǒ Cù).

[citation needed] Also a filtered non-alcoholic carbonated apple juice called "Appy Fizz" was introduced by Parle in India in 2005 and it became an instant hit.

As a result, the region also has a vibrant craft cider scene, with brands like Sxollie, Everson's, Cluver & Jack, Windermere and Terra Madre all produced in the area.

Primarily this production has been for limited local usage, with national commercial distribution and sales dominated by three brands: Mercury Cider, Strongbow and Willie Smith's.

These two factors have resulted in the production of a wide range of low juice content, sweet, often flavoured drinks under the "cider" banner being used to circumvent this restriction.