Meet Ayrshire Riviera: the Scottish craft cider worth seeking out

British craft cider has moved a long way from the mass-market brands that dominate supermarket shelves. Small producers across the country are hand-pressing traditional and windfall apples into ciders with real depth and character - and one of the most interesting is coming from an unexpected corner of the country: the Ayrshire coast of Scotland.

Meet Ayrshire Riviera Cider

Ayrshire Riviera Cider is a small Scottish producer hand-pressing cider from hand-picked and windfall apples grown along Scotland's south-west coast - an area sometimes nicknamed the "Ayrshire Riviera" for its unusually mild, sheltered microclimate. Every batch is fermented for around six months to develop maximum flavour and natural sweetness, then racked for purity. All of their ciders are vegan, gluten free and made with no added sugar.

1. Ayrshire Riviera Blue Label, 6%

Blue Label is the cider that started it all - a blend of Emperor Alexander, Lord Derby, Clydesdale and Barnack Beauty apples. The mix of hand-picked and windfall fruit, combined with the long, slow fermentation, gives this cider a rich, rounded, naturally sweet flavour at a very drinkable 6% ABV.

2. Ayrshire Riviera Egremont Russet, 8.5%

Egremont Russet is a late-season, single-variety cider made entirely from Egremont Russet apples - an underrated variety that lends a distinctive nutty, almost almond-like note that balances the natural sweetness beautifully. At 8.5% ABV, it's a bigger, richer cider for sipping slowly rather than session drinking.

3. Ayrshire Riviera Mixed Case

Can't decide? The Mixed Case gives you equal quantities of both the Blue Label and the Egremont Russet, so you can compare the classic blend against the single-variety late-season cider side by side.

Why we love it

What makes Ayrshire Riviera stand out isn't just the unusual Scottish provenance - it's the commitment to proper cider-making: hand-picked and windfall fruit, long fermentation for real depth of flavour, and no added sugar or shortcuts. It's a world away from the sweetened, filtered ciders that dominate the mainstream market, and a great introduction to what small-batch British cider can taste like.

Explore the full range of British cider at Farmfetch, or browse our wider selection of craft beer and cider.

FAQ

What apples are used in Ayrshire Riviera cider?

The Blue Label blend uses Emperor Alexander, Lord Derby, Clydesdale and Barnack Beauty apples. The Egremont Russet cider is made from a single variety of Egremont Russet apples.

Is Ayrshire Riviera cider vegan?

Yes - all Ayrshire Riviera ciders are vegan, gluten free and made with no added sugar.

What's the difference between the two Ayrshire Riviera ciders?

Blue Label (6% ABV) is a rounded, naturally sweet blend of several apple varieties. Egremont Russet (8.5% ABV) is a stronger, late-season single-variety cider with a distinctive nutty character.

Where is Ayrshire Riviera cider made?

It's made on the Ayrshire coast of south-west Scotland, an area known for its mild, sheltered microclimate.