Walk into a grocery store in October and you will find three shelves of apple drinks that all look similar. They are not the same thing. Here is how they differ and when each one is worth buying.

Fresh apple cider

In the United States, cider usually means raw pressed apples that have not been filtered to a clear liquid. It is cloudy, a bit thick and brown, and it tastes like the apples used. A good cider is made from a blend of varieties, so it has sweetness and some tartness together. It is perishable. Keep it cold and drink it within about a week.

Apple juice

Apple juice starts from the same fruit but is filtered to remove pulp and sediment, then pasteurized so it can sit on a shelf for months. The result is clear, lighter in flavor and more uniform from bottle to bottle. It is a good pantry drink and works well for cooking and children's cups.

Hard cider

Hard cider is apple juice or cider that has been fermented with yeast until sugar turns to alcohol. It can be dry or sweet, still or sparkling. Our estate hard cider, called Apfelwein, follows the German tradition and is tart and bold. You can read more in our Apfelwein article.

Quick comparison

• Appearance: cider is cloudy, juice is clear, hard cider varies.
• Shelf life: cider lasts about a week cold, juice lasts months unopened, hard cider keeps for a long time in the bottle.
• Alcohol: cider and juice contain none. Hard cider typically does.
• Best use: drink cider fresh, cook with juice, and serve hard cider with a meal.

Why cider changes from week to week

Because cider is a blend of whatever varieties are ripe, the flavor shifts through the season. Early September cider is lighter and sweeter. By late October, with Northern Spy and Ida Red in the mix, it gets deeper and more tart. That variation is a sign of a real pressing and not a flaw.

What to ask at the mill

Ask which apples went into the current batch and when it was pressed. A mill that knows the answer is paying attention to the product. Our weekly list on Apples In Season shows the varieties we have at the store, which hints at what is in the cider.