Estonia and Latvia offers a rich diversity of apple varieties exceptionally suited for cider production, encompassing traditional dessert apples, vibrant crabapples, and specialized cider cultivars. Local selections—such as the Institute of Horticulture's breeding achievements 'Cidross', 'Auce', 'Dobeles Sidrābols', and 'Pūres Sidrābols'—alongside classic local favorites like 'Lietuvas Pepiņš' and 'Sīpoliņš', provide a versatile raw material base for regional cider makers. These varieties are characterized by robust cold hardiness, good disease resistance, and favorable biochemical profiles, offering high soluble solids, balanced natural acidity, and varied tannin contents that allow for the creation of both well-balanced single-varietal ciders and complex blended profiles tailored to the Baltic climate and soil conditions.
The Cider map PDF document presents 34 apple varieties most widely used for cider production in Estonia and Latvia.
The Apples Behind the Flavor
Cider makers build their orchard collections by selecting the most suitable apple varieties for local growing conditions and the desired cider qualities. They graft their own trees, source classic cider apple varieties, and gather seedlings from wild cider apple trees. They also collaborate with horticultural institutes, where researchers cultivate native cider apple varieties.
The following apple varieties are used for cider in the Baltics:
Heirloom varieties - dessert and winter apples, passed down through generations, with their unique flavors.
Popular cultivated varieties, such as ‘Auksis’, ‘Melba’, ‘Antonovka’, ‘Sandra’, ‘Liivika’, and others.
Crabapples - smaller than typical apples, these fruits have an astringent, tart, sour, or bitter taste, making them excellent for cider.
Wild apples (Malus sylvestris) - each autumn, cider makers go on "apple safaris," exploring forests and abandoned gardens to gather fruit from wild apple trees, selecting the finest for their collection.
Cider apple varieties cultivated by horticulture institutes in Latvia and Estonia.
Well-known cider apple varieties such as ‘Dabinet’, ‘Yarlington Mill’, ‘Kerr’ are introduced in Baltic orchards to test their suitability in local conditions
Natural cider is best made from sweet-bitter varieties with high soluble solids and moderate tannins. Varieties are often blended (cuvéed) to achieve the desired juice balance; exceptional vintage cider varieties can be used alone.
Target juice composition:
>14 °Brix
polyphenols 50–200 mg/100 g
acidity 0.5–0.7%
tannins 0.05–0.25%
sugar/acid ratio 15–16
soluble pectin <64 mg/100 g.
The article in "Profesionālā Dārzkopība" includes an evaluation of over 70 apple cultivars analyzed in 2024 across Latvia and Estonia, grouping dessert apples (e.g., 'Auksis', 'Antonovka'), crabapples ('Kerr', 'Auce', 'Ritika'), and dedicated cider apples ('Dabinett', 'Cidross', 'Yarlington Mill') by critical cider-making parameters such as juice yield, soluble solids ($^\circ\text{Brix}$), and tannin levels. It further maps their regional distribution across four Baltic terroir climate zones, highlighting how key cultivars adapt to local microclimates and how selected varieties like 'Auksis', 'Dabinett', and 'Sinap Orlovskij' are used for cross-border experimental fermentations.
Apple varieties were selected and described in collaboration with cider producers; analyses were conducted by the participating research institutes (Institute of Horticulture (Latvia), Polli Horticultural Research Centre of Estonian University of Life Sciences (Estonia).).
Baltic Cider Apples
"Antonovka" - Traditional variety with acid, aromatic fruits, ripens in autumn
"Auce" - Red-leaf crab with delicious and attractive sour-sweet juice and moderate tannins
"Auksis" - Popular commercial apple with very good sweet-sour taste from September till March
"Austris" - high juice yield, balanced natural sweetness and acidity, and fresh fruity aromatics
"Bērzukroga Dzeltenais" - winter-hardy heirloom variety yielding juicy, aromatic apples that add balanced sweetness and fresh fruity notes
"Bohnapfel" - Traditionally grown variety, extremely late ripening, used for cider after freezing
"Cidross (Nr.19-97-154)" - Scab resistant cider apple with balanced taste and moderate tannins, late ripening
"Dabinett" - Classic bitter-sweet cider apple, in the Baltics may lack winter hardiness
"Dobeles Sidrābols (DI-93-4-14)" - Late ripening cider apple with high acid content and moderate tannins
"Dzeltenais Skābais krebs" - Late ripening crabapple with very high content of acids and polyphenols
"H-13-97-14" - Columnar cider apple selection with firm, sweet-sour fruits, balanced flavor, and high resistance to scab
"H-1-03-1" - promising cider hybrid featuring small, astringent crabapple-type fruit with high tannin content and intense acidity
"H-4-03-21" - Late ripening cider apple selection with low acid content and moderate tannins
"H-7-03-47" - Columnar cider apple selection with high yields, good disease resistance, and large, well-balanced sweet-sour fruits
"Hyslop" - Old crab apple variety with high sugar-acid proportion, high tannins, but low juice outcome
"Kerr" - Late ripening crabapple with very aromatic, dark red juice and rather high acid content
"Kuku" - Very sweet crab apple with low tannins, obtained in Estonia
"Lietuvas Pepinš (Leedu Pepin, Glogierowka)" - Ancient variety with very juicy, mild, sour-sweet fruits and balanced taste
"Liivika" - New Estonian variety similar to ‘Liivi Kuldrenett’, but smaller tree and longer storage Sweet-sour taste juicy fruit
"Maimu" - Late ripening Estonian variety with small, aromatic fruits, sour-sweet taste
"Malus purporea" - Red-foliaged crabapple with small, dark red, highly aromatic fruits and rather high acid content, giving a distinct color and zesty flavor
"Melba" - Early ripening, mild and very aromatic dessert variety, sweet-sour taste
"Merrigold" - Mild, delicious and aromatic autumn apple, sweet with some acidity
"Nr. 16-97-86" - Late ripening dessert and cider apple with pleasant sweet-sour taste and low tannins
"Nr. 19-97-98" - Late-ripening cider apple selection with high disease resistance, good juice yield, and a balanced sweet-sour taste
"Nr. 7-15-87" - Scab-resistant cider apple selection with late-ripening, aromatic fruits and a well-balanced sweet-sour taste with moderate tannins
"Pepin Shafranny (Safrāna Pepiņš)" - Widely in older orchards, firm, sweet-sour, smallish fruits with yellow flesh
"Põltsamaa Taliõun (Peltsamā)" - Estonian landrace with mild sweet-sour taste and pleasant aroma
"Pūres Sidrābols" - New Latvian variety for sweet cider with moderate tannins, rather early ripening
"Quaker Beauty" - Old crab apple variety, fruits with balanced taste and low tannins, but susceptible to bruises
"Raganas Sarkanais" - Late ripening red-leaf crab with aromatic acid fruits and high anthocyanin content
"Remo" - Late ripening sour-sweet juice apple popular in Germany; in the Baltics may lack winter hardiness
"Ritika" - Estonian crab apple with high sugars and low to moderate tannins, original aroma
"Sügisjoonik (Rudens svītrainais/Vidzemes Gravenšteins)" - Traditional Baltic variety, at proper maturity aromatic and good sweet-sour taste
"Sandra" - Early-ripening dessert and cider apple with attractive red-striped fruit, pleasant sweet-sour taste, and high scab resistance
"Sinap Orlovsky" - Commercial variety with large, juicy, late ripening fruits and sweet-sour taste at maturity
"Sīpoliņš (Liivi Sibulõun)" - Traditional Baltic variety with small, sweet, aromatic fruits, rather low juice outcome
"H-17-05-22 (Sliņķis)" - Red-leaf columnar crab with delicate aroma and low acid content
"Talvenauding" - Estonian variety with good sweet-sour taste and pleasant aroma, ripens in autumn
"Tellissaare" - Late ripening dessert variety, firm and crisp, sweet with some acidity
"VF 4-238" - Late-ripening cider apple selection with large, bright red fruits, firm juicy flesh, and a rich sweet-sour flavor profile
"VF 4-42" - Late-ripening cider apple selection with small-to-medium juicy fruits, distinct aroma, and a rich, sweet-acidic flavor profile suited for blending
"Valentino" - Aromatic cider apple selection with firm, crisp flesh, high juice yield, and a well-balanced sweet-sour taste with subtle tannins
"Veiniõun" - Large-fruited Estonian variety with pink flesh, sour-sweet taste, selected for juice
"Vidzemes Firziķu" - Traditional Baltic autumn apple with soft, juicy flesh, distinct peach-like aroma, and a delicate sweet-sour taste
"Vidzemes Zelta Renete (Liivi Kuldrenett)" - Traditional Baltic variety with sweet, aromatic fruits, autumn ripening
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