Cider is one of the UK’s most loved drinks and is a refreshing drink on a hot summer’s day.

In fact, the UK drinks more cider than the rest of the world, with Somerset’s own cider sold all over the world.

Fermented apple juice may be popular, but it’s also a controversial drink, and its status is fiercely protected.

Under British law, cider must contain 35 percent apple juice, but CAMRA (The Campaign For Real Ale) states that cider must contain 90 percent fresh apple juice to be considered ‘real cider’.

In recent years, several types of cider, including pineapple, blood orange, and dark fruit, have become more popular.

However, experts have criticised the ‘sugary Alcopop’ alternatives that are stocked on supermarket shelves and even sold in bars, claiming they are a poor substitute for the real thing.

Do you actually drink cider? Here, Femail looks at the sugar content in some of Britain’s best-loved brands

Barny Butterfield, owner of Sandford Orchards in Devon, told FEMAIL: ‘They’re not really ciders, the unique flavour of cider comes from fermenting cider apples.

‘Few industrial fruit ciders do more than undermine the good name of cider to sell alcopops.’

He added: ‘If it’s apple cider, it has to be 35% juice. At the moment there’s no minimum for fruit-flavoured ‘ciders’.’

‘The UK cider industry is actually supporting changing this to bring it into line with cider – it’s the least that needs to be done. At the moment, a fruit cider cannot legally (and often will not) contain any apple at all.’

Under current UK law, companies are not required to make ingredient lists public, so the actual amount of apple juice used to make popular cider is a secret.

But when FEMAIL examined the sugar content of the drinks more closely, some surprising results emerged.

It turned out that Thatchers Blood Orange cider contained a whopping 41 grams of sugar per bottle.

This means that adults may be consuming more sugar than the recommended daily amount from one bottle of cider.

However, Barny’s Sandford Orchards prides itself on making craft cider from 100 percent West Country cider apples

According to the NHS, adults should not consume more than 30 grams of free sugars (added sugars) per day.

Other well-known brands also contain alarming amounts of sugar, such as Brothers Toffee Apple Cider with 38.5 grams of sugar.

Old Mout Kiwi and Lime contains 34 grams of sugar, but even classic apple ciders are not immune to high sugar levels.

Thatchers Haze contains 20.5 grams of sugar per bottle, while Apsall’s contains 19 grams.

Ciders at the other end of the spectrum, with lower amounts of sugar, include Stowford Press, with just 5 grams, and Henry Weston’s Vintage cider with 10 grams.

Barny’s Sandford Orchards prides itself on making artisan cider from 100 percent West Country cider apples.

More cider is drunk in the UK than the rest of the world combined, with Somerset’s own cider sold around the world (stock image)

He said: ‘Like beer, the supermarkets are full of mass-produced cider. To be called “cider” in the UK, only 35 per cent of the contents of the bottle need to be apple juice.

‘This apple juice can come from any apple and anywhere and usually large scale cider makers use imported, concentrated juice with very little flavor.

‘This means they have to add artificial colours, sweeteners and preservatives to enhance the final product. It’s hard to tell what’s really in these “ciders” as there is no requirement to list ingredients!’

CAMRA defines real cider or perry as fermented from the whole juice of freshly pressed apples or pears, without the use of concentrated or chaptalised juices.

In France, cider must be made from 100% fruit juice. This also jeopardises the status of cider in the UK.

French ciders often undergo the process of ‘keeving’, which means that the ciders can be sweetened without adding extra sugar. They also tend to have a lower alcohol content.

The national drink of France is wine, but cider is popular in Normandy, Brittany and the Basque Country region.