The cliché is true – Bristolians love their cider. So, of course, there’s a smashing selection of pubs where you can stop for everything from super strength scrumpy to refreshing perry.

We’ve rounded up five of the best places serving top-quality ciders in Bristol, to make your search for pints of the city’s favourite beverage easy. 

Five ciders on a tasting board at The Stable, Bristol

Image credit: The Stable

The Cider Box, Wapping Wharf and St Phillips

Browse shelves of modern craft cider from the finest international and local producers at the shop in Wapping Wharf, or head to the tap room in St Phillips to enjoy a rotating range of ciders on tap. The tap room also plays host to events throughout the week, from cider and cheese tatings to music nights, live sport and quizzes.

Dan at The Cider Box, Bristol
Image - The Cider Box

The Apple, Welsh Back

You can’t get a much more typically Bristol experience than sipping cider on a boat. That’s exactly what The Apple, a floating bar on the Welsh Back, offers. As their name suggests, there is a heavy cider focus here and it has to be included in any cider lover’s visit to the city.

Their huge list of ciders is up there with the very best in Bristol and includes the famously strong Old Bristolian (it’s a hangover-inducing 8.4%!). Take a seat aboard the restored Dutch barge or if the sun is shining, fight it out for a spot on the quayside terrace.

The Apple cider boat, Bristol
Image - The Apple

The Orchard, Spike Island

Another historic cider house is The Orchard Inn down by the Marina. Bristol’s original cider pub, it dates back to 1834 and has been awarded ‘CAMRA Regional Cider Pub of the Year’ in 2009, 2010, 2016/17 and 2018.

They always have 20 plus ciders on offer, including ones from some of the West Country’s most renowned producers. Cider connoisseurs they may be but The Orchard remains completely unpretentious and a favourite of locals.

The Coronation Tap, Clifton Village

Clifton’s only cider house is a long-running institution - it opened 30 years before the Clifton Suspension Bridge did! Known to locals as ‘The Cori’, it’s made quite a name for itself as a live music venue as well as being a hotspot for stand-out ciders.

The real big draw is a chance to try the notorious Exhibition cider. Like The Apple’s Old Bristolian, it’s a potent 8.4% and restricted to half-pint servings. From students and holidaymakers to long-time locals, sampling it is a rite of passage for any cider drinker passing through Clifton. Once you have enjoyed an Exhibition and a night out here, you can officially say you've been 'corried'. 

The Stable, Canon’s Road

With a prime place right on the Harbourside, it’s not just cider The Stable does brilliantly - their pizzas are also award-winning. Soak up any of the 60 plus varieties of cider on offer with a freshly made sourdough pizza, topped with ingredients from local producers.

The tasting board of five ciders is a good starting point for working your way through their hefty selection, or brush up on your making and tasting knowledge by booking one of their cider experiences. And if you’re around on a Tuesday, don’t miss their pizza and a pint offer at the bargain price of £10.

The Stable Bristol pizza, pies and cider sign

Image credit: The Stable

Beard & Sabre Taphouse

This small bar located just behind Bristol Hippodrome on Denmark Street is home to the award-winning Beard & Sabre cidermakers, with their ciders available on tap or by bottle, along with rotating guest ciders and a guest beer. The bar also hosts live music weekly.

Bristol Cider Shop

For in-depth cider discoveries from the team, book onto one of their cider tasting sessions, or purchase a selection of local ciders from their online shop. 

Cider farms

Why let the landlords have all the fun exploring nearby farms? Thatchers Cider in Sandford, North Somerset has its own shop and organises regular tours. Follow your nose to find more farms or ask the experts in the Cider Shop.

Let us know if we’ve missed your favourite place to drink cider in Bristol on Facebook or Twitter. And for more inspiration on the city’s finest watering holes, check these out:

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