Beverage
Sweet Cider
B tier
Sweet cider here means a fermented cider stopped or back-sweetened so sugar remains in the glass—keeved French doux, a west-country sweet, or a modern bottled cider with residual apple. It is not North American unfermented "sweet cider" (that is juice). The best examples still have tannin underneath the sugar; the worst are fizzy apple pop with a splash of alcohol. Drink it with a strong cheese or a spicy sausage if the sweetness is honest. In a long braise it turns cloying as water leaves; use it as a last-minute glaze or for a sauce you will sharpen with mustard or vinegar. Read the label for alcohol and for whether the sweetness is apple or added sugar.
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History
Norman keeving trapped natural sugar so a cider could stay sweet without tasting of syrup.
English bottled sweets and farmhouse remnants kept a sweeter pint beside the dry scrumpy.
Mass-market sweet sparkling cider taught a generation that cider was a soft-drink cousin.
Craft keeved and naturally sweet ciders tried to reclaim sweetness as an orchard skill.