Is Cider Vinegar Same as Apple Cider Vinegar?
If you're wondering, “is cider vinegar same as apple cider vinegar?”, the short answer is yes.
In the United States, cider vinegar and apple cider vinegar refer to the same type of vinegar: vinegar produced through the fermentation of apple juice.
This isn't just common usage. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration groups the terms “vinegar,” “cider vinegar,” and “apple vinegar” together in its vinegar labeling guidance and defines this category as vinegar made through the alcoholic and subsequent acetous fermentation of apple juice. (FDA)
So if a recipe calls for cider vinegar and you have apple cider vinegar, you generally have what you need.
Is Cider Vinegar the Same as Apple Cider Vinegar?
Yes. Cider vinegar is another name for apple cider vinegar.
The FDA's vinegar guidance specifically identifies:
Vinegar, cider vinegar, apple vinegar
as the apple-derived category of vinegar.
The defining characteristic isn't whether the front of the bottle says “cider vinegar” or “apple cider vinegar.” It's what the vinegar is made from.
Apple cider vinegar begins with apples.
That's different from other vinegar varieties that start with different raw materials.
For example, FDA guidance distinguishes apple/cider vinegar from:
- Wine or grape vinegar
- Malt vinegar
- Spirit, distilled or grain vinegar
- Sugar vinegar
- Glucose vinegar
They are all vinegars, but they aren't all apple cider vinegar. (FDA)
Why Do People Call It Cider Vinegar?
The name comes from its apple-cider origin.
Apple juice or cider contains naturally occurring sugars. During vinegar production, fermentation occurs in stages.
First, sugars are converted into alcohol. Then acetic acid bacteria convert alcohol into acetic acid.
Acetic acid gives vinegar much of its characteristic sourness and acidity.
The FDA describes cider/apple vinegar as being produced through alcoholic and subsequent acetous fermentation of apple juice. (FDA)
“Cider vinegar” is therefore essentially a shortened way of saying apple cider vinegar.
Is Apple Cider the Same as Apple Cider Vinegar?
No—and this distinction matters.
Apple cider and apple cider vinegar are not the same product.
Apple cider is an apple beverage.
Apple cider vinegar has undergone further fermentation that creates vinegar and its characteristic acetic acidity.
So:
Apple cider ≠ apple cider vinegar
but:
Cider vinegar = apple cider vinegar
That one word—vinegar—makes a major difference.
Is Cider Vinegar the Same as White Vinegar?
No.
This is another common source of confusion.
Although both products are vinegar, cider vinegar and distilled white vinegar are different types of vinegar.
FDA guidance describes cider/apple vinegar as originating from apple juice. Spirit, distilled or grain vinegar, by contrast, is produced through the acetous fermentation of dilute distilled alcohol. (FDA)
The FDA also explicitly states that simply diluting food-grade acetic acid does not make it vinegar. (FDA)
The source material and production method matter.
This is why apple cider vinegar has its own characteristic color, aroma and flavor rather than simply being another name for white vinegar.
What About “Apple Vinegar”?
Under FDA labeling guidance, apple vinegar is also used for the same apple-derived vinegar category as cider vinegar. (FDA)
That gives us three closely related terms:
- Apple cider vinegar
- Cider vinegar
- Apple vinegar
In U.S. labeling guidance, all three point back to vinegar produced from apple juice fermentation.
“Apple cider vinegar” is simply the term most American shoppers are accustomed to seeing.
What About ACV?
ACV is just an abbreviation for apple cider vinegar.
That means:
ACV = apple cider vinegar = cider vinegar
If you want a deeper introduction to how ACV is made, what it contains and how people use it, read our ACV Apple Cider Vinegar guide.
Are All Apple Cider Vinegars the Same?
No.
This is where the terminology question gets more interesting.
Two bottles can both legitimately be apple cider vinegar while differing considerably in how they're processed and presented.
You may encounter ACV described as:
- Raw
- Filtered
- Unfiltered
- Pasteurized
- Unpasteurized
- Organic
- With the Mother
These characteristics don't create a completely different category of vinegar. They're descriptions of the particular ACV and how it was made or processed.
For example, raw, unfiltered ACV may contain visible cloudy material commonly called the Mother, while heavily filtered vinegar may appear much clearer.
Our ACV Library covers these distinctions in considerably more detail, including guides to raw, organic, unfiltered and Mother-containing apple cider vinegar.
What Is the Mother in Cider Vinegar?
“The Mother” is the cloudy material associated with vinegar fermentation that may remain visible in some raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegars.
It can give the vinegar a hazy appearance or create visible sediment in the bottle.
Not every bottle of cider vinegar contains visible Mother. A clear, filtered apple cider vinegar is still apple cider vinegar.
If the differences between filtered, unfiltered and Mother-containing ACV are what you're trying to understand, see our guide to raw apple cider vinegar with the Mother.
Which Apple Cider Vinegar Do We Recommend?
For shoppers who specifically want a traditional raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with the Mother, one of our top choices is Fairchild's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.
Fairchild's is raw, unfiltered and unpasteurized, and its label identifies it as full strength with no water added.
You can browse the full Fairchild's Apple Cider Vinegar collection here.
The important point for this article is that whether someone calls a product “cider vinegar,” “apple vinegar,” “ACV” or “apple cider vinegar,” they're referring to the same basic apple-derived vinegar category—not four different products.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cider vinegar same as apple cider vinegar?
Yes. In U.S. FDA labeling guidance, cider vinegar and apple vinegar are included in the same apple-derived vinegar category. They are produced through the alcoholic and subsequent acetous fermentation of apple juice.
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of cider vinegar?
Generally, yes. If a recipe calls for “cider vinegar,” apple cider vinegar is the product being referenced.
Is cider vinegar the same as apple cider?
No. Apple cider is a beverage made from apples. Cider vinegar has undergone additional fermentation to become vinegar.
Is cider vinegar white vinegar?
No. Apple/cider vinegar is made from apple juice, while FDA guidance describes distilled or spirit vinegar as being produced from dilute distilled alcohol.
Is apple vinegar apple cider vinegar?
Yes. FDA vinegar-labeling guidance groups “cider vinegar” and “apple vinegar” within the same apple-derived vinegar definition.
Does cider vinegar contain the Mother?
Some does and some doesn't. Raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegars frequently retain the Mother, while filtered products can be clear. Both can still be apple cider vinegar.
The Bottom Line
So, is cider vinegar same as apple cider vinegar? Yes.
Cider vinegar, apple vinegar, apple cider vinegar and the abbreviation ACV all refer to the same basic apple-derived type of vinegar.
The more useful distinction isn't cider vinegar vs. apple cider vinegar. It's what separates one apple cider vinegar from another: the apples used, processing, filtration, pasteurization, dilution and whether the finished vinegar retains the Mother.
Want to go deeper? Explore the AppleCiderVinegar.com ACV Library or browse our Fairchild's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar collection.