Cidermakers have been quietly producing glorious nectar for years—now they're just cranking out a whole lot more hard cider, thanks to the ongoing interest in “session” drinking and how easy it is to make. We're finally converts, not because it's everywhere but because it's good...and, increasingly, great. With help from Jeff Smith, owner of Bushwhacker Cider in Portland, Oregon, here's an intro to a whole new universe of booze.

Gateway Cider

If you’re brand new to hard cider, skip the latest trendy fruit flavor (this year it’s pineapple) and start your cider journey with a classic “cider-flavored cider.” Try Farnum Hill’s Semi-Dry Cider and E.Z. Orchards’ Cidre Semi Dry.

”Good Sweet” Cider

Swearing off cider because you tried syrupy, mass-produced hard cider is like writing off Burgundy because you once drank a wine cooler. Opt for a more natural cider with less sugar added, and thank us when you wake up with a more natural hangover. We like Locust's Sweet Aged Apple.

Cider for Beer Drinkers

Some rogue cidermakers just can't quit beer. Their hopped ciders are the love children of IPAs and apple juice. Try Incline Cider Company's The Explorer or Stem Ciders' Remedy. The hops hit your tongue right after the apple, and the perfect balance of tang and sweetness might just convince you to break with beer.

Extra-Dry Cider

A true dry cider should taste so tannic it almost makes you thirsty. “Kind of like eating raw walnuts,” Jeff Smith says—but in a good way. Check out Alpenfire Pirate's Plank “Bone Dry,” or look for an English cider—the Brits' ciders are as dry as their deadpan repartee.

Funky Cider

“Sidra” is cider from Basque, a land notable because everybody carries around goatskin wine sacks full of booze. Sidra is a funky cider that will test even the most whiskey-hardened palate. “Funk” can also describe a sour beer or a tangy rum, but it’s not the same; these vinegary ciders verge on kombucha. Ask for Gurutzeta sidra to impress your cider-snob friends.

The Really Hard Stuff

Ciders above 7 percent alcohol are subject to higher taxes, but when the flavor is too good to water down, some cidermakers will suck up the taxes to bring you a tasty cider that packs a punch. For a slightly more lit Thanksgiving, try a high-ABV cider like 2 Towns' Bad Apple, coming in hot at 10.5 percent.