Magners

William Magner started pressing apples in Clonmel, County Tipperary in 1935. What began with a single cider press and a dozen oak barrels grew into Ireland's most recognisable cider brand. Nearly nine decades later, the orchards still stretch across Tipperary countryside, and the recipe remains largely unchanged.

Magners made its name with cider served over ice, a simple idea that transformed how the UK drinks cider during summer months. The brand sits within C&C Group's portfolio alongside Bulmers, its Irish-market sibling. The same liquid, different names depending on which side of the Irish Sea you're drinking.

The alcohol-free option, Magners Zero, arrived in 2015. It takes a different approach to the original. Rather than removing alcohol from fermented cider, they work with an unfermented apple base. The result lands somewhere between cider and sparkling apple juice. Dessert apple sweetness dominates, with enough tartness to keep things interesting. It won't fool anyone expecting the dry bite of the original, but that's not really the point.

You'll find Magners Zero in most major supermarkets and plenty of pubs with decent alcohol-free selections. The brand's recognition helps here. Publicans who might hesitate to stock unfamiliar AF drinks often have space for Magners. That visibility matters for anyone scanning a bar menu looking for something other than lime and soda.

It's not the most complex AF cider on the market, but it's easy to find and reliably drinkable. Sometimes that's what you need.

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