12 Top American Hard Ciders

As America's most popular alcoholic beverage throughout the colonial era and into the early days of the United States, cider's popularity began to wane in the 1840s as a wave of German immigrants brought beer-making techniques with them into the country. The great breweries of America's cities popularized German-style beers that would eventually become the watered-down, mass-marketed lagers of today. However, just as the craft beer movement has taken off with glorious abandon, reinventing the taste and identity of American beer, hard cider, too, is being given a new platform to shine as a craft product.

Dry ciders dominate the American marketplace, but sweeter varieties also have their devoted partisans. To try a wide array of ciders, take a look at our list of the best in America.

This semi-dry hard cider is brewed in New York's Hudson Valley and has a crisp, almost beer-like taste.

Doc's, which can be frequently found in boutique beer bars in the Northeast, also sells sweeter pear- and raspberry-flavored ciders that mix the chosen fruit with apples.

What do you get when a respected microbrewery starts making hard cider? Harpoon Cider has a slightly lower alcohol content (4.1 percent) than most of the competition and a clean, slightly sweet taste.

Also, New England's Harpoon chooses to use an apple blend based on McIntosh apples rather than the specialized varieties most other American breweries use.

Woodchuck, one of the granddaddies of the American hard cider scene, is known for selling seasonal specialties.

The Winter Chill Cider currently on offer from Woodchuck has hints of vanilla and nutmeg and is made for drinkability.

Crispin Cider, primarily available on the West Coast, takes its cues from French rather than British cider traditions.

The slightly sweet cider, unlike most other brands, also has a "light" variety that only has 110 calories per bottle.

New Hampshire-based Farnum Hills offers a high-alcohol (7.4 percent) hard cider that is corked, unlike most other American bottled ciders.

While mainly available in New England, Farnum Hill's products are also sold at specialty shops outside of the region.

Argus' ciders come from an unusual apple destination: Texas. Though it's not your usual sweet spot for apple picking, it's still a force to reckon with. 

This small, but highly-praised craft brewery offers several varieties of cider influenced by French and British traditions.

Bellwether, brewed in upstate New York, is a small regional cider producer with primarily local sales. Their best known cider, Legacy, is a high-alcohol (6.8 percent) beverage that packs a punch.

Other varieties sold by the brewery include an unusual-for-America black currant flavor.

Tieton offers an unusual cider that blends apples and cherries for a sweeter flavor.

This brand's award-winning cherry cider is marketed as a wine alternative alongside other varieties of traditional apple ciders and an apricot cider.

West County, a small cider outfit in Massachusetts, offers a variety of high-end ciders with wildly varying tastes and alcohol contents.

This cider outfit's McIntosh cider, a sweet, low-alcohol brew, is an excellent way of introducing hard cider to non-drinkers.

With the combination of sweet juices, bittersweet apples, and aged oak, the Strawman's Success has allowed Angry Orchard to offer this seasonal drink year-round.

The apple and citrus hints in this cup of gold liquid gold create an earthy, complex-tasting cider, making it similar to a glass of wine.