hard cider

American  

[hahrd sahy-der] / ˈhɑrd ˈsaɪ dər /

noun

1. cider

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hard cider British  

noun

1. fermented apple juice Compare sweet cider

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Etymology

Origin of hard cider

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90

Example Sentences

Beloved in colonial America, hard cider lost favor in the mid-19th century as crisp lagers ascended; the temperance movement and Prohibition felled cider-apple trees.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

Van Buren, meanwhile, aimed to portray Harrison, a Virginian, as an unsophisticated “country squire” who lived in a log cabin and drank hard cider, Kraig said.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2024

You can also switch things up with hard cider, cheddar and pilsner, or jalapeño.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2023

In 1840, supporters of Whig presidential candidate William Henry Harrison contrasted his rugged taste for hard cider with the champagne supposedly preferred by Democratic snob Martin Van Buren.

From Slate • Dec. 26, 2022

There was less hard cider in the homestead when Sergeant Angus Macfarlane rode out again, and our presence was 47 never requested by the Northwest Police.

From Lorimer of the Northwest by Dewey, Alfred James