The definitive guide to how much sugar is in each glass of cider

How much sugar is in cider?

Hidden sugars

Out of 144 ciders:

Information is hidden

Out of 144 ciders:

0%
had info on the label or packaging
51%
had info on the website
49%
had no publicly available info at all

This page changes that. Below you'll find information from authoritive sources. Facts come directly from brewers, and on occassion various government-run websites.

The best and worst ciders

The cider with the most sugar

The worst cider is Bulmers Toffee Apple, with 12.1 g of sugar per 100 ml. It contains more sugar than full-fat Coca-Cola. To compare, a ‘normal’ Coca-Cola contains around 10.6 g of sugar. There’s about 61 g of sugar in a 500 ml bottle of Bulmers Toffee Apple, which is over double the recommended amount of free daily sugars. Crazy.

The cider with the least sugar

The best cider is Stowford Press, with 1 g of sugar per 100 ml. In total, a pint will only have 6 g of sugar. It’s only 18% of the recommended amount of free daily sugars.

The types of cider with the lowest sugar content

Choose ciders that have an apple flavour. Ciders with added fruits and flavours tend to be more sugary. So avoid pear, raspberry and dark fruits ciders. Go for the more traditional ciders that taste less sweet. Dry ciders are best.

What is daily sugar?

The Daily sugar heading in the rankings below is the daily allowance of free sugars.

Free sugars are sugar in food and drinks that doesn’t add nutritional value. These will be most sugars in things like fruit juices, smoothies and honey. 

The NHS recommends 30 g of free sugars a day. These are on top of the nutritional sugars contained in food. A balanced diet will contain sugars as part of your meals, but as cider is a nice bonus to have in our lives, we count the sugar in cider as free sugars. The percentages you see are out of the 30 g a day that the NHS recommends.

The table of ciders

Cider
Sugar per 100 ml
Sugar per drink
Daily sugar
Sugar per 100 ml
12.1
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
61
g
Daily sugar
202
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
11.4
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
57
g
Daily sugar
190
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
9.7
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
49
g
Daily sugar
162
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
9.6
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
48
g
Daily sugar
161
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
9.2
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
46
g
Daily sugar
153
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
9.2
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
46
g
Daily sugar
153
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
8.5
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
43
g
Daily sugar
142
%
330 ml
Can
28
g
94
%
Sugar per 100 ml
8.4
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
42
g
Daily sugar
140
%
330 ml
Can
28
g
92
%
Sugar per 100 ml
8.4
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
330 ml
Bottle
28
g
Daily sugar
92
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
8.3
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
42
g
Daily sugar
138
%
330 ml
Can
27
g
91
%
Sugar per 100 ml
8.3
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
42
g
Daily sugar
138
%
330 ml
Can
27
g
91
%
Sugar per 100 ml
8.1
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
330 ml
Bottle
27
g
Daily sugar
89
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
8.1
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
440 ml
Can
36
g
Daily sugar
119
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
8
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
40
g
Daily sugar
133
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
7.9
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
40
g
Daily sugar
132
%
330 ml
Can
26
g
87
%
Sugar per 100 ml
7.8
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Bottle
39
g
Daily sugar
130
%
330 ml
Can
26
g
86
%
Sugar per 100 ml
7.7
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
330 ml
Bottle
25
g
Daily sugar
85
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
7.7
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
39
g
Daily sugar
128
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
7.7
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
330 ml
Bottle
25
g
Daily sugar
85
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
7.7
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
330 ml
Bottle
25
g
Daily sugar
85
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
7.7
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
330 ml
Bottle
25
g
Daily sugar
85
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
7.6
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
330 ml
Bottle
25
g
Daily sugar
84
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
7.5
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
330 ml
Bottle
25
g
Daily sugar
83
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
7.3
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
37
g
Daily sugar
122
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
6.8
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
34
g
Daily sugar
113
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
6.3
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
36
g
Daily sugar
118
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
6.1
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
330 ml
Bottle
20
g
Daily sugar
67
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
6
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
34
g
Daily sugar
114
%
330 ml
Can
20
g
66
%
Sugar per 100 ml
6
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
30
g
Daily sugar
100
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
6
g
Very high
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
34
g
Daily sugar
114
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
5.6
g
High
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
28
g
Daily sugar
93
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
5.1
g
High
Sugar per drink
440 ml
Can
22
g
Daily sugar
75
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
5
g
High
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
25
g
Daily sugar
84
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
5
g
High
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Can
25
g
Daily sugar
83
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
5
g
High
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
25
g
Daily sugar
83
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
5
g
High
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
25
g
Daily sugar
83
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
4.8
g
High
Sugar per drink
440 ml
Can
21
g
Daily sugar
70
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
4.8
g
High
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
27
g
Daily sugar
90
%
330 ml
Can
16
g
52
%
Sugar per 100 ml
4.7
g
High
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
27
g
Daily sugar
89
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
4.6
g
High
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
23
g
Daily sugar
77
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
4.6
g
High
Sugar per drink
440 ml
Can
20
g
Daily sugar
67
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
4.5
g
High
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
26
g
Daily sugar
85
%
440 ml
Can
20
g
66
%
Sugar per 100 ml
4.4
g
High
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
25
g
Daily sugar
84
%
440 ml
Can
20
g
65
%
Sugar per 100 ml
4.3
g
High
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
24
g
Daily sugar
81
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
4.3
g
High
Sugar per drink
440 ml
Can
19
g
Daily sugar
63
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
4.3
g
High
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
21
g
Daily sugar
71
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
4.1
g
High
Sugar per drink
440 ml
Can
18
g
Daily sugar
60
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
3.8
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
22
g
Daily sugar
72
%
500 ml
Bottle
19
g
63
%
Sugar per 100 ml
3.7
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
21
g
Daily sugar
70
%
440 ml
Can
16
g
54
%
Sugar per 100 ml
3.7
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
19
g
Daily sugar
62
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
3.6
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
20
g
Daily sugar
68
%
440 ml
Can
16
g
53
%
Sugar per 100 ml
3.6
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
18
g
Daily sugar
60
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
3.6
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
18
g
Daily sugar
60
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
3.1
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
16
g
Daily sugar
52
%
440 ml
Can
14
g
45
%
Sugar per 100 ml
3.1
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
16
g
Daily sugar
52
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
3.1
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Bottle
18
g
Daily sugar
59
%
440 ml
Can
14
g
45
%
Sugar per 100 ml
3
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
17
g
Daily sugar
57
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
3
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
15
g
Daily sugar
50
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
3
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
330 ml
Bottle
10
g
Daily sugar
33
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
3
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
330 ml
Bottle
10
g
Daily sugar
33
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2.9
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
14
g
Daily sugar
48
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2.8
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
16
g
Daily sugar
53
%
500 ml
Bottle
14
g
47
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2.8
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
16
g
Daily sugar
53
%
440 ml
Can
12
g
41
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2.8
g
Medium
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
14
g
Daily sugar
47
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2.7
g
Low
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
13
g
Daily sugar
44
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2.5
g
Low
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
14
g
Daily sugar
47
%
500 ml
Can
11
g
37
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2.5
g
Low
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
14
g
Daily sugar
47
%
500 ml
Bottle
13
g
42
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2.5
g
Low
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
13
g
Daily sugar
42
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2.5
g
Low
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
13
g
Daily sugar
42
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2.4
g
Low
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
12
g
Daily sugar
40
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2.4
g
Low
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
12
g
Daily sugar
40
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2.4
g
Low
Sugar per drink
440 ml
Can
11
g
Daily sugar
35
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2.2
g
Low
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
12
g
Daily sugar
41
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2
g
Low
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
11
g
Daily sugar
38
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2
g
Low
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
10
g
Daily sugar
33
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2
g
Low
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
10
g
Daily sugar
33
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2
g
Low
Sugar per drink
440 ml
Can
9
g
Daily sugar
29
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
2
g
Low
Sugar per drink
330 ml
Can
7
g
Daily sugar
22
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
1.8
g
Low
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
10
g
Daily sugar
33
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
1.8
g
Low
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
10
g
Daily sugar
33
%
500 ml
Bottle
9
g
29
%
Sugar per 100 ml
1.7
g
Low
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
8.5
g
Daily sugar
28
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
1.6
g
Low
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
9
g
Daily sugar
30
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
1.4
g
Very low
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Bottle
7
g
Daily sugar
23
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
1.4
g
Very low
Sugar per drink
500 ml
Can
7
g
Daily sugar
23
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
1.3
g
Very low
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
7
g
Daily sugar
25
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
1.3
g
Very low
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
7
g
Daily sugar
24
%
g
%
Sugar per 100 ml
1.1
g
Very low
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
6
g
Daily sugar
21
%
500 ml
Can
6
g
18
%
Sugar per 100 ml
1
g
Very low
Sugar per drink
568 ml
Pint
6
g
Daily sugar
18
%
500 ml
Can
6
g
19
%

Further reading

Statistics

All figures are direct from the brewers unless otherwise stated.

Sugar per 100 ml is to one decimal place, sugar per drink is to the nearest gram and % of your daily free sugars to the nearest percent.

How are your ratings calculated?

A cider can have five possible ratings. Each is based on the amount of sugar per 100 ml.

  • Very high: 6 g and above
  • High: 4-6 g
  • Medium: 2.8-4 g
  • Low: 1.6-2.7 g
  • Very low: 0-1.5 g

Sizing

I've chosen to display the two top sizes of drinks available for each cider. Some ciders are sold in massive bottles, so I've chosen a pint as that drink (serving) size, so it's easily comparable.

Corrections

Mistakes could happen, so please let me know if there’s a cider missing or information you’d like correcting. If you are a brewer and have missed several polite emails, please get in touch, as I would love to hear from you.

What’s not included

I’ve not included beer as it naturally contains very low amounts of sugar. Yeast uses up the sugars in the brewing process to produce carbon dioxide and alcohol. Beer will tend to have more calories, where cider contains more sugar.

Missing, presumed dead

There are some ciders that are missing from the table above. If you can fill the gaps, please get in touch.

  • Cornish Gold Oak Matured
  • Cornish Scrumpy
  • Kopparberg Black Blackberry & Blackcurrant
  • Kopparberg Mixed Fruit 
  • Kopparberg Passion Fruit
  • Kopparberg Passion Fruit Light
  • Kopparberg Premium Cherry 
  • Kopparberg Premium Mixed Fruit 
  • Kopparberg Premium Mixed Fruit Tropical
  • Kopparberg Premium Rose
  • Kopparberg Raspberry Light
  • Kopparberg Spiced Apple
  • Kopparberg Summer Fruit Light
  • Mallets Dark Fruit
  • Mallets Original
  • Merrydown Dry
  • Merrydown Original
  • Rattler 4%
  • Rattler Berry
  • Rattler Mulled
  • Rattler Original
  • Rattler Pear
  • Rattler Strawberry and Lime
  • Sainsbury's Dark Fruit Cider
  • Sainsbury's Original Dry Cider
  • Sainsbury's Vintage Cider
Cider
Why no info?

Sainsbury's (all varieties)

Sainsbury's has declined to provide sugar content

Rattler (all varieties)

Healey's has not responded to queries

Merrydown (all varieties)

Merrydown has not responded to queries

Cornish Gold (some varieties)

Healey's has not responded to queries

Cornish Scrumpy (all varieties)

Healey's has not responded to queries

Kopparberg (most varieties)

Kopparberg has not responded to queries