No, people did sometimes drink fruit juice, especially apple juice, even in the 18th and 19th century. Usually it tended to naturally ferment, so it was less sweet and slightly alcoholic, although most 18th century ciders were probably a little less alcoholic than modern commercial hard cider. It was seen as a way to use apples that didn't taste good or were too damaged to make good eating fruit.

This is cribbed shamelessly from Michael Pollan's The Botany of Desire, and food history is waaay outside my wheelhouse.