You might
say that, but in that example it's bad grammar
Different from or different to are the correct usages, except for the specific example of where you're adding something between the 'different' and the 'than'. See the website I linked to.
In the Oxford Guide to English Usage it's noted that "different than" is useful in constructions such as "I was a different man in 1935 than I was in 1916" or "The American theatre is suffering from a different malaise than ours." But without the intervening phrases it should be 'from' or 'to'.
Now, I've done some hunting on US as opposed to UK grammar. There
is precedent for
different than with no intervening words in limited circumstances - and I'm not even sure I understand them properly, so I'd stick with 'from' because I know it's always right
Take a look at this commentary on
Different from v Different than . The author quotes from the American Heritage Book of English Usage:
If you want to follow traditional guidelines, use from when the comparison is between two persons or things: My book is different from (not than) yours. Different than is more acceptably used, particularly in American usage, where the object of comparison is expressed by a full clause: The campus is different than it was twenty years ago. You can use different from with a clause if the clause starts with a conjunction and so functions as a noun: The campus is different from how it was twenty years ago.
So the example of beer and cider
does require 'from' even in US usage.
The author continues, elaborating on the American Heritage explanation:
Remember that we use different from when we compare two persons, places or things directly.
By contrast, we use different than when the object of comparison is contained in a clause. Note that a clause is defined as "a group of words containing a subject and a predicate and forming part of a compound or complex sentence." In simpler language, a clause is a group of words contains both a noun and a verb.
And the examples:
My writing style is different from hers.
This village is vastly different than it was 30 years ago.
"How different things appear in New York than how things appear in Nashville," Josh exclaimed.
"How different things appear in New York from how things appear in Nashville," Josh exclaimed.
Does this make it simpler? Personally, I'd still use 'from', but it's clear that 'than' has wider uses than just where a phrase intervenes between 'different' and 'than' -
but that the usage is only where the comparison is more complex than
X is different from Y.
Does this answer your question, Capes?
Wendy
, but sorry 
