Apple Cider is a non-alcoholic beverage made from compressed apples. Less clear and more tart then apple juice, apple cider must be refrigerated when stored since it is not filtered. Most cider is now pasteurized because unpasteurized cider can potentially harbor E. Coli bacteria.

Cider was once more of a curiosity for drinkers, something one might find at a colonial fair. Now, however, it is a major industry and a standard offering at upscale bars and restaurants. The world’s most cider-loving country is England (no coincidentally, the country where cider cultivation was first discovered), but countries around the world, from Argentina to Sweden, have their own homegrown producers.

The first documentation of cider is from around 55BC in Kent, England. The Romans, including Julius Caesar, are reported to have partaken in the cider drinking after the Roman invasion of England. By the 9th century, it was a common beverage throughout Europe, although much of this cider was likely fermented hard cider, an alcoholic drink. By the 1600s, virtually every farm in England had its own cider press, and the nation’s growing power abroad helped spread the drink to other lands. In colonial America, cider was the most popular beverage, although cider drinking began to decline in England during this period. Beer later replaced cider as the principal drink of American colonists, due to the faster fermentation process as well as the influx of German immigrants. http://www.drinkfocus.com/articles/apple-cider/history-of-cider.php

Cider has resurged in popularity in recent years. In parts of New England and New York, the cider doughnut is considered the perfect accompaniment to a glass of apple cider.