Hard cider is made by fermenting fruit juices, classically from apples, and allowing the natural yeasts present in the juice to ferment the sugars into alcohol. Various cultures have been making hard cider for centuries, and it is relatively easy to make at home. There are numerous variants on hard cider which incorporate various fruits along with additives such as honey, sugar, or cultured yeasts for a specific flavor. If you do plan to brew at home, find a company which sells brewing supplies and look for a hard cider brewing kit which will come with everything you need.

The first step in making any sort of hard cider is selecting and pressing the fruit. Sweet fruits will make a more sweet cider which can also be higher in alcohol, while tarter fruits will yield a more dry cider. Many brewers like to mix several varieties of a fruit; blends of three or more apple varieties are very common in apple cider, for example. You can also make pear cider, peach cider, or an assortment of other fruit ciders if you have access to the fruit.

After the fruit has been juiced, it is poured into a clean container with a burping lid. The lid allows fermentation gases to escape while keeping air out, because it is important to keep air out of the container while the cider ferments so that it does not turn to vinegar. Many brewers pump gas into their fermentation tanks after they pour the fresh cider in, to push the air out. Depending on the brewer's taste, the cider may be heated to kill the natural yeasts, allowing the brewer to add specific yeasts to the mixture, and some people also add sugar to the cider so that the end result will be more alcoholic, as the yeasts will have more sugar to convert to alcohol.

Once cider is in a fermentation tank, it cannot be moved, because this will stir up sediments. After around two months, the cider is carefully decanted and the container is cleaned to remove sediment. The cider can age in an oak barrel, or be placed back in the fermentation tank, as long as it is meticulously cleaned. At this stage, the hard cider will taste very sharp and raw; the flavor will mellow as it ages.

If you want to make cider at home, you will need pressed cider without preservatives. You can often obtain fresh cider at county fairs and roadside stands; or you can ask an apple orchard for unpreserved cider. Cider with preservatives will rot before it is able to ferment, and this is not desired. You should also try to keep temperatures stable during the fermentation process, and remember that cooler temperatures slow the rate of fermentation.