How Many Calories in Cider?

The number of people adopting a healthier, fitter lifestyle is increasing significantly.

Lets face it alcohol is the main source of calories, especially calories in cider. But just because you want to follow the fit lifestyle does not mean you should have to sacrifice on parties and social events! With cider becoming an increasingly popular beverage, we felt it was time to clear the air answer the question - just how many calories are there in cider?

There is a simple answer to that question - it depends.

The amount of calories in any beverage depends on its ingredients. So different types of cider have different calories in them. When we are calculating calories, it is important to keep in mind the amount of sugar and carbs any food or drink has, and its alcohol content in case of beverages like cider.

Some science for you...alcohol has 7 calories per gram compared to four in case of carbs so the ABV (Alcohol By Volume) or simply put - alcohol content - can affect the calories in your beverage considerably.

Lucky for us healthy cider lovers, the alcohol content found in cider is not that high with the average being 4-5%. Some ciders like the Henry Westons Oak Aged Herefordshire Cider do have an alcohol content of up to 8.2% but they are not as widely consumed as the lower ABV ones. Next time you are ordering a bottle of cider, go for the one that has a moderate alcohol content.

Sure, it might not get you tipsy as much but you will be saving a lot of calories!

But alcohol content is just one side of the equation. What about carbs and sugars?

Well, cider is made from fermented fruits such as apples, oranges, pears, peaches, etc. These fruits are typically are quite sweet and have a lot of natural sugars in them. As a result, the amount of calories is on the higher side.

Be careful though, craft ciders tend to have a higher alcohol content so while sugars contribute to lower calories, the higher alcohol content raises the total calories of the beverage.

With the logic behind cider’s calories out of the way, let’s look at numbers. The average cider with a 4.5% ABV (alcohol content) has approximately 210 calories. That’s equivalent to a sugar doughnut or a slice of pizza. Unless you are drinking cider once or twice a week, this could pose a threat if you are on the journey to cut calories.

That said, there are a few low-calorie options that you can choose from which contain considerably fewer calories, but some sacrifice on taste and that is a trade-off you have to be willing to be making.

Is there a cider lower in calories?

Well yes. If you drink craft cider like Crafty Nectar no.7 coming in at 159 calories per pint. Plus other artisan craft ciders showcased in our cider subscription boxes

Not only is it better for you than most mainstream ciders but you can actually taste the apple content as its not watered down like big brands. Crafty Nectar no.7 is also:

√ Artisan Craft Cider

√ Vegan Friendly

√ No concentrates and artificial flavourings

√ Gluten Free

Why is Crafty Nectar No.7 lower in calories?

There is less added sugar than some of the fruit flavoured alcopops such as Kopperberg and Rekorderlig. An ABV of 5.1% and over 90% apple content means that it also doesn’t have the punch of higher ABV ciders and therefore the calories.

How do the calories in cider stack up against other alcoholic beverages?

Cider often gets compared to beer since they’re both great beverages to sip on while relaxing or when you’re out with friends.

However, beer has significantly lower calories owing to lower sugar content. But when you are not having more than a couple of drinks, a few calories here and there really don’t make that big of a difference. So if you are confused between the two, purely from a calorie perspective beer is the wiser choice, but effectively they are both pretty much the same. It all boils down to your preferences since there is really not that much between them.

Red wine is considered to be a healthy beverage, with several reports concluding that it had a proven benefit on heart health among other effects. From a calorie perspective, however, it’s a no-go. A 250ml glass contains around 214 calories which are quite a lot when you consider that we seldom drink just one glass. In fact, when we compare quantities of cider and red wine, we find that per 500ml cider contains nearly half the calories of red wine.

Surprising, is it not?

Well, not really. You see, red wine contains a lot of sugars and it has a higher alcohol content. So although you would get wasted sooner, you will also end up consuming many additional calories.

Things are slightly better if you are a fan of hard liquors like rum or whiskey since they have around 70 calories per glass, but that is if you do not mix it with any other drinks. Be careful though because the moment you use mixers it bumps up the calories significantly. Rum and cola, for example, has over 160 calories per glass, more than an equivalent amount of cider.

If you prefer cocktails you might want to reconsider because they have quite possibly the highest calories of any alcoholic beverage. Margaritas, for instance, have 455 calories on average. This is largely due to the fact that they are high in terms of ABV and in terms of sugar which can really boost the calories a lot.

So there you have it, then. How many calories does cider have? About 200 calories, give or take, depending on which one you buy.

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Crafty Nectar is UK’s leading craft cider subscription box. Every month, we will deliver you some of the most unique and finest ciders from all over the country. Don’t worry though - most of the ciders we curate are never particularly high on calories so you do not have to think twice before enjoying our delicious cider!

Crafty Nectar no.7 is available to drink www.craftynectar.com