Units and calories in cider

Cider is an alcoholic drink made by fermenting apples. It can be still or sparkling. Perry is a similar drink, made using the same method, but using pears instead of apples.

It’s the third most bought alcoholic drink for consumption at home, after beer and wine.¹ But how strong is cider and how many calories does it contain? Read this quick guide to get the facts.

How much alcohol is in cider?

Checking a cider's label for its ABV (alcohol by volume) tells you what percentage of the drink is made up of alcohol. For example, a cider with 5% ABV is five percent pure alcohol. The higher the percentage, the more alcohol there is. 

Cider (and perry) sold in the UK can have an alcoholic strength ranging from 1.2% ABV (alcohol by volume) to 8.5% ABV.² Just over half of cider sold in shops and supermarkets is 5% ABV or higher. Strong ciders of more than 6% ABV account for About one in seven cider sales are strong ciders of more than 6% ABV.³

A good way to keep track of how much you’re drinking is to know how many units of alcohol are in your drink. One unit of alcohol is 10ml (ten millilitres) of pure alcohol – and the number of units you are drinking depends on the drink’s size and strength. 

For example, a 500ml can of 5% ABV cider has 2.5 units in it. A 500ml can of strong 7.5% cider would have 3.75 units.

The UK Chief Medical Officers (CMO) low risk drinking guidelines advise you not to drink more than 14 units a week, spread over three or more days, with several drink-free days - and no bingeing.

Regularly drinking more than the low risk drinking guidelines increases your risk of serious health conditions including heart problems, high blood pressure and poor mental health. Drinking alcohol also causes at least seven types of cancer, including breast, bowel, mouth and throat cancers.⁴

How many calories are there in cider?

Alcohol is high in calories. It contains around seven calories a gram - almost as many as fat.⁵

A pint of cider with 4.5% ABV can contain 210 calories - that’s roughly the same amount of calories as a ring donut.

And the calories in cider don’t just come from the alcohol – it is high in sugar too. A pint of cider can contain as many as five teaspoons of sugar – almost as much as the NHS recommended daily limit.⁶

Calories from alcohol are often described as 'empty calories', meaning they have no nutritional value because they are consumed in addition to the calories your body needs. And drinking alcohol affects the way your body processes fat for energy.⁷ You are more likely to store fat around your middle – which is an area where men in particular tend to show weight gain, sometimes referred to as a ‘beer belly’.^8,9

What’s more, if you find that you eat more junk food after a drinking session, you won’t be alone. That’s because drinking affects the hormones that control your appetite,¹⁰ as well as making you less inhibited and therefore less likely to make healthy choices.¹¹

Find out more about alcohol, calories and maintaining a healthy weight