Half-right, although this common misunderstanding means that the distinction is becoming more esoteric. But then I've been called out on this thread for misrepresenting a cask as a keg so we're already in pedant territory.Debian said:When did Perry suddenly become Pear Cider?
Cider is made from apples, Perry is made from pears.
The main difference is that Perry is made from certain specific pear varieties. There's other smaller differences, such as pears being left to mature after picking and leaving them after crushing, thus reducing tannins and acidity.
The EU has also got involved, restricting the use of the name Perry to those using the correct process and in the correct location. So people who were selling a drink called Perry have had to, much as those proclaiming the "methode champenoise", come up with a different phrase. People know and understand cider, so the phrase "pear cider" has appeared.
CAMRA is, unsurprisingly, traditional about the drink, saying that pear cider is a pear-flavoured drink, or more specifically a cider-style drink flavoured with pear concentrate, made by industrial cider makers. Equally unsurprisingly, according to Wiki, the National Assoc of Cider Makers feel the terms should be interchangeable. But then they do have a significant vested interest in boosting the perceived quality of their industrial produce.
So, cider is made from apples, a drink made from certain pear varieties to a specific process in a narrow geographical location is perry and any other fermented drink made with pears or pear concentrate is pear cider.