With the annual onslaught of pumpkin spice lattes, colder weather and falling leaves comes a less popular fall feature: apple cider. Apple cider, the American name for a type of unfiltered, nonalcoholic apple juice, is an annual harvestime drink that doesn’t get nearly as much attention as its more favored fall beverage peers. Still, the drink is a fall staple for many and people have differing opinions on what makes a truly fantastic cider. 

Apple cider is made from the pulp of mashed apples squeezed through a cloth to produce juice. In general, it is recommended to use either sweet apples, like Gala or Golden Delicious, or more tart varieties, like Pink Lady or Braeburn. Blending a few different varieties of apples ensures a balance of flavor that isn’t too overpowering one way or the other. 

The best cider, “has to be cold. It needs to be a good balance between sweetness and a little bit sour and have a good dark color,” believes Junior Julia Luzar.

Freshman Leah Falvo agreed that a good cider shouldn’t be too sweet, but that it should also have a natural flavor not overcome by artificial flavors or sugars. 

Since apple cider is mostly enjoyed during the fall season, some, like Junior Dan Bouvy, believe it is best enjoyed only during autumn. Others think that apple cider should be consumed year round. 

However, it is generally agreed that apple cider is a distinct beverage from apple juice. The production process, color, flavor and even consistency of cider can stray from that of apple juice. Due to the resulting more natural flavor, many actually prefer cider to juice, especially during fall. 

Because it is a less refined and more natural apple product, cider’s flavor profile can vary from brand to brand, or even bottle to bottle. That said, it makes sense that people have a variety of opinions on exactly where to get the best cider. 

Bouvy said, “Simmons [has the best cider] because it tastes so good. I usually buy it from Aldi though.”

Trax Farms in Finleyville, PA, is Luzar’s go-to because they have an apple cider slushy that she described as being cold, refreshing and absolutely delicious.

According to Falvo, “Oglebay Farmhouse [Wheeling, WV]  has really good cider. That, and the Springhouse.”

Falvo also had an unique perspective because, while most people don’t believe that homemade cider is worth the effort, she has fond memories of making it with her grandfather.

“He had this weird kind of machine that would press the apples and make the cider. It was really fun. We’d take the apples from his orchard and use those,” she remembered.

Apple cider has proven itself as more than just an autumnal underdog, The many varieties of the beverage have lead it to beat out some of the more popular fall drinks and stake its claim as a lasting fall staple.