The best bottle for your cider depends on whether it is sparkling or still, and how it will be drunk. For many small cider makers, a 500ml crown-cap bottle made for beer and cider is a popular size for craft cider, with a 330ml beer bottle for smaller servings. Swing-top bottles suit still cider, gifts and serving at the table, and a 1 litre screw-cap bottle works well for still cider and apple juice to share. Many makers settle on one main bottle and cap, then add a second size once they know what customers ask for. This guide also covers bottles for pressed apple juice.

At Bottle Company South our beer and cider bottles include amber and clear crown-cap bottles, Costalata swing tops and Gallone screw-cap bottles, along with coloured crown caps and a desktop crown capper.

Factors to consider when choosing cider bottles

  • Sparkling or still: Sparkling cider builds up pressure in the bottle, so choose your bottle with care and ask us if you are unsure which suits your cider. Still cider gives you more freedom, including swing tops and screw-cap bottles.
  • Amber or clear glass: Amber glass helps protect the contents from UV light, which supports flavour and freshness. Clear glass shows off the colour and clarity of a well-made cider, so keep clear bottles out of direct sunlight.
  • Closure: Crown caps give a tight, low-cost seal and are easy to apply with a bench capper. Swing stoppers are quick to open and reseal. Tamper-evident screw caps show customers the bottle has not been opened.
  • Serving size: 330ml and 500ml bottles are single servings for shops, pubs and markets. 750ml and 1 litre bottles are for sharing, gifting and the dinner table.
  • Labelling and shelf space: Taller bottles give more room for a label, while shorter, wider bottles stand steadily in boxes and on shop shelves.
  • Telling batches apart: Coloured crown caps or cap colours let you mark different varieties, sweetness levels or vintages at a glance.

Popular cider bottles from our range

Crown-cap bottles

  • 330ml amber beer bottle: About 23cm high and 5.5cm across the base, in amber glass to help protect against UV light. A neat single-serve beer bottle for smaller servings, samples and mixed packs. Supplied without caps.
  • 500ml amber beer bottle: About 22cm high and 7cm across the base. A classic brown bottle made for beer and cider, and a popular size for craft cider. Supplied without caps.
  • 500ml clear beer bottle: About 22cm high and 7cm across the base. Made for beer and cider, in clear glass that shows off a golden or rosé cider and keeps the contents visible for branded ranges. Supplied without caps.

Swing tops for still cider and gifts

Screw-cap bottles for still cider and apple juice

Caps and capping

  • Crown beer bottle caps: In red, gold, green, silver, blue and black, so you can colour-code varieties, sweetness or seasonal batches.
  • Desktop crown beer bottle capper: A bench-top capper supplied with fittings for 26mm and 29mm crown caps, for a quick, even seal batch after batch.

Pressing apple juice as well?

If you sell pressed apple juice alongside your cider, our 330ml, 500ml and 750ml mineral bottles are listed as suitable for pasteurisation and carbonation, with 28mm tamper-evident screw caps in five colours. For an alternative closure, our 28mm Duet cap is designed to fit the 330ml, 500ml and 750ml mineral bottles. Our guide to bottles for cordial, juice and squash has more on choosing juice sizes.

Bottling tips for cider makers

  • Let it finish: Bottle once fermentation has finished and the cider has cleared. Bottling too early can over-carbonate it.
  • Prime with care: If you add sugar before bottling, measure it carefully and never add more than your recipe calls for.
  • Leave some headspace: Do not fill right to the top. A small gap below the cap is normal.
  • Clean and sanitise: Wash and sanitise bottles, caps and your filling kit before every batch.
  • Store cool and dark: Keep bottles upright, out of direct light and away from heat, especially clear glass.

New to making cider? Our cider making guide walks through pressing and fermenting, and our beer bottle guide covers amber, swing-top and crown-cap bottles in more detail.

Conclusion: match the bottle to the fizz

Choose the bottle around the cider: 500ml crown-cap bottles made for beer and cider, a 330ml beer bottle for smaller servings, swing tops for still cider and gifts, and 500ml or 1 litre Gallone bottles for still cider and apple juice. Pick amber for protection or clear for show, keep one crown cap colour per variety, and keep a capper and spare crown caps to hand so bottling day runs smoothly.

Explore our beer and cider bottles

Browse our beer and cider bottles, with amber and clear crown-cap bottles, swing tops and screw-cap bottles, plus crown caps and other closures and our beer accessories. Or call Anna and the team on 0117 986 9667 if you want help choosing a bottle and cap for your cider, or have a bulk or trade enquiry.