The GFB’s Hard Cider Guide

Every summer, we’ve got you covered with our guide to the best gluten-free beers. Now, we’re back to tackle everyone’s favorite fall indulgence: gluten-free hard cider.

Many gluten-free folks first come to know hard cider as beer’s safer, sweeter, gluten-free cousin, but nowadays, breweries are cranking out creative, vibrant hard ciders that some are saying taste better than beer. In fact, hard cider has been one of the fastest growing segments of the alcohol market these past few years.

You won’t believe it until you try it – and we’ve got your road map for who’s brewing the best hard ciders these days. Here is your guide to this year’s best gluten-free hard ciders.

Best Hard Apple Ciders

CiderBoys First Press – ★★★★☆

• Traditional hard apple cider
• Sweet, crispy, tart
• Complex, well-rounded sweetness

Notes: Lightly tart, caramelized, juicy apple, clean, fresh

Square Mile Cider Co. Original Apple Cider  – ★★★☆☆

• Brewed in Portland, available in parts of the West Coast and Midwest
• Made with local apples and lager yeast
• 6-time award winning classic American cider

Notes: Crisp, clean, semi-dry, hearty apples, earthy

J.K.’s Scrumpy Hard Cider – ★★★★★

• Small batch, organic farmhouse hard cider made in Michigan
• Made with organic apples and wild yeast, grown in the family’s orchards
• Fresh and juicy apple aroma

Notes: Natural, lightly tart, musky, gold, crisp and clean finish

Best Pear Hard Ciders

Samuel Smith’s Organic Perry – ★★★★☆

• Made in a small, independent brewery in Yorkshire, Britain; widely available
• Dry, sparkling pear cider made with organic pear concentrate

Notes: Rich flavor, glowing pale color, gentle aroma,  summer pear

Sonoma Cider The Pitchfork – ★★★★★

• Crisp, refreshing hard apple cider with notes of pear
• Intense and well-balanced, with distinct flavors of both fruits

Notes: Complex, rich, dark sweetness, apple, decadent pear

Best Fruity Hard Ciders

Ace Space Bloody Orange Craft Cider – ★★★☆☆

• Limited edition flavor selected by Ace Cider Facebook fans
• Unfiltered, citrusy, and tart

Notes: Complex citrus, sweet orange, pink grapefruit, refreshing, mimosa-inspired

Angry Orchard The Old Fashioned – ★★★★★

• Made with American apples
• Aged on oak with dried tart cherries, orange peels, and charred bourbon barrel staves
• Bright, complex, and unique flavor

Notes: Citrus, cherry, apple, light vanilla, full and round mouthfeel

Ace Pumpkin Hard Cider – ★★★★☆

• Seasonally available, premium flavor
• Tastes like drinking a pumpkin pie
• Quenches your autumn thirst for all things pumpkin

Notes: Cinnamon, cloves, allspice, orange color, rich flavor, spicy

 

Best Hoppy Hard Ciders

Woodchuck Hopsation – ★★★☆☆

• Small batch hard cider infused with Cascade hops
• A balance of smooth hard apple cider and bitter hops
• Refreshing, complex, and well-balanced cider

Notes: Hoppy, earthy, herbal, pine and citrus aromas, sweet apple, grapefruit, citrus, bitter hops

Square Mile Cider Co. Hopped Apple Cider – ★★★★☆

• A dry-hopped take on the Portland brewery’s classic hard apple cider
• 9-time award winning cider that claims complex hop flavors with zero bitterness

Notes: Hoppy, beery, semi-dry, light, refreshing, natural and grassy

Best Spiced Hard Ciders

Ciderboys Mad Bark Apple Cinnamon – ★★★☆☆

• Tastes like apple pie
• Bittersweet cinnamon balanced with deliciously sweet apple
• Heavy and decadent – one glass will hit the spot

Notes: Aromatic, sweet, cinnamon-spiced, warm apple pie

Vander Mill Totally Roasted – ★★★★★

• A warm and toasty cider that prioritizes spice over sugar
• Unexpected twist on a traditional cider
• A medley of cinnamon, pecan, and vanilla

Notes: Cinnamon, pecan, vanilla, toasty, dry, rustic, warm, rich

 

That’s our 2017 Guide to the Best Gluten Free Hard Ciders – which ciders are you excited for this fall? Shout out your area’s best GF ciders in the comments below and let us know which we should add to our list!