From there it spread to Normandy. In 1066, after the Norman Conquest in England, cider consumption became widespread, with monasteries selling vast quantities of strong spiced cider to the general public. By the mid-seventeenth century, just about every farm in England had its own orchard and cider press. Hard cider became a very popular drink in Colonial America after early English settlers brought apple seeds to the New World. This was not the same cider you buy today at farm stands.
Hard cider contains a varying amount of alcohol.
Apples themselves were easily bruised and damaged in transit. This was not the case with kegs of cider. The first three presidents of the United States were all noted to have enjoyed cider. John Adams drank a pint of it every morning. A number of things contributed to the decline of cider consumption.