Angry Orchard Easy Apple 6Pk

Angry Orchard Easy Apple 6Pk is an unfiltered, sessionable hard cider at 4.2% ABV, sold as a 6-pack of 12 oz bottles. What distinguishes this expression from the rest of the Angry Orchard lineup is its lower alcohol content paired with a blend of both culinary and bittersweet apple varieties, delivering surprising complexity in a lighter-bodied package.

Quick Facts: ABV: 4.2%  |  Origin: Walden, New York (R&D); Cincinnati, OH & Breingsville, PA (Production)  |  Style: Unfiltered Sessionable Cider  |  Producer: Angry Orchard Cider Company (Boston Beer Company)

Production & Heritage

Angry Orchard operates out of a dedicated cider house and orchard in Walden, New York, nestled in the Hudson Valley, where the brand's innovation and small-batch experimentation take place. The cidery is owned by Boston Beer Company, the brewery behind Samuel Adams. Easy Apple is crafted from a blend of culinary apples — Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, and Granny Smith — alongside traditional European bittersweet cider varieties including Dabinett, Frequin Rouge, Harry Masters Jersey, and Bisquet. The cider is left unfiltered, resulting in a naturally hazy appearance and a fuller mouthfeel than many mainstream ciders at this ABV. That combination of culinary sweetness and tannic bittersweet character is what gives Easy Apple its balance without relying on added sugar or heavy sweetening.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Fresh apple juice leads immediately, followed by a sharper, greener apple note and faint citrus. A subtle backdrop of cinnamon and bittersweet apple skin rounds out the nose.

Taste: The entry is clean and lightly sweet, leaning toward fresh-pressed apple. Mid-palate, a tart, almost sour apple character emerges and builds. The body is medium for a cider at this strength, and the unfiltered texture gives it a slight chewiness that keeps it from feeling thin.

Finish: Semi-dry with a lingering bittersweet apple quality and restrained sweetness. Effervescence is light — closer to a still cider than a heavily carbonated one — which contributes to its easy-drinking nature.

How to Drink Easy Apple

Easy Apple drinks well straight from the bottle, chilled to around 40–45°F, where its apple aromatics are most expressive without the sweetness becoming cloying. For a laid-back serve, pour it over ice in a pint glass to open up the haze and aroma. It also works in a Cider Shandy — mixed half-and-half with a light wheat beer for a refreshing warm-weather drink. Try it in an Apple Mule, substituting it for ginger beer with a splash of fresh lime and vodka, where its tartness provides natural balance. A Cider Mimosa using Easy Apple in place of sparkling wine brings a lower-ABV brunch option with genuine apple flavor.

Best For

• Backyard barbecues and casual outdoor gatherings where sessionability matters
• Introducing non-cider drinkers to the category with a balanced, approachable entry point
• Pairing with lighter fare at a summer dinner party
• Stocking a cooler for a long afternoon when lower ABV is preferred

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Easy Apple taste like? Easy Apple has a fresh-pressed apple flavor that starts lightly sweet, builds into a tart and slightly sour peak, and finishes semi-dry with a bittersweet apple character. The unfiltered body gives it more texture than most light ciders.

How does Easy Apple compare to Downeast Original? Both are unfiltered ciders with a hazy appearance and fuller mouthfeel, but Downeast Original comes in at a higher ABV (around 5.1%) and tends toward a juicier, sweeter profile, while Easy Apple is drier and more sessionable at 4.2% ABV.

Is Easy Apple good for cider beginners? Yes — its lower alcohol, balanced sweetness, and familiar apple flavor make it one of the most accessible hard ciders on the market, without sacrificing the complexity that comes from using bittersweet apple varieties.

Where is Easy Apple made? Angry Orchard's research and development takes place at its cider house and orchard in Walden, New York, in the Hudson Valley. Large-scale production occurs at facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Breingsville, Pennsylvania, both operated by parent company Boston Beer Company.

What foods pair well with Easy Apple? Grilled pork chops or sausages complement its bittersweet apple notes. Sharp cheddar cheese mirrors its tartness. A simple arugula salad with walnuts and vinaigrette echoes the cider's dry finish. Roasted butternut squash soup pairs well with the cinnamon undertone, and fish tacos with lime slaw match its light, crisp body.

What sizes does Easy Apple come in? The standard retail format is a 6-pack of 12 oz bottles, though availability of other pack sizes may vary by market.

Is Easy Apple worth the price? Easy Apple positions as an affordable, everyday sessionable cider within the Angry Orchard range, sitting at the accessible end of the craft cider spectrum while delivering more character than many mass-market competitors at a similar price tier.

Why Easy Apple?

The use of eight distinct apple varieties — spanning both culinary and traditional European bittersweet types — is uncommon for a cider at this price point and ABV. Most sessionable ciders in the 4–4.5% range rely on dessert apples and added sweetness to fill out the palate; Easy Apple instead leans on tannic bittersweet varieties like Dabinett and Frequin Rouge for structure. The unfiltered approach preserves body and aromatics that would otherwise be stripped out, resulting in a hazy cider that drinks above its weight class. For anyone looking for a lower-ABV option that doesn't sacrifice depth, this expression fills a genuine gap in the mainstream cider market.