Cider...

[Macman]

Raphael, we are lucky where we live. Quite a few Victoria pubs and restaurants (including my local pub) all serve Merridale on tap, so we can get it regularly. The cidery also has a booth at our beer festival; they usually turn up with a few different ciders, including their famous scrumpy.

[cormacmacguardhe]

I drink only cider as my alcohol of choice. I prefer Woodchuck Dark and Dry, although their Granny Smith is a close second. My son just showed me a cider by a local cidery in Mount Vernon, Washington, the owner ages some of his cider in oak bourbon barrels, it gives it a slight whiskey flavor. I plan on making up some of my own soon, when I can get enough apples together.
My fondest memories are of pressing cider with my father every fall. We had several different apple trees on our property, and just put all the different apples together, made a really great tasting cider. My father was a teatotaller, and set almost all of the cider aside to make vinegar. I tried to catch some of it before it had gone all the way.

[emeraldfalconoflight]

MMmmmm I MUST love cider, after all I live in New York. We have cider runs around here. A LOT like a beer run, and sometimes we do let our cider go HARD. OHH HELL YEAH!!!!

[Andrew Breecher]

The bar I work at has Strongbow on tap.

I'm going to brew a cider later this week...I'll probably pick up some yeast on Friday. I'll tell you in four weeks how it turns out.

Andrew.

[Manu]

For all you cider lovers: If you ever go to Asturias, Spain, have some. Asturias is famoues for it. Just make sure to ask for "sidra" instead.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Cormac,

I see we have another MacQuarrie on the list! Welcome!

[usndoc]

I am a big fan of Woodchuck Amber. When I spent 3 weeks in Germany a few years ago we found an irish pub in Heidleberg that had Strongbow on tap. I drank a few and enjoyed a day in the city.

As for local cider options Woodchuck is only found in Krogers. Hornesby is in the Walmarts but I do not care for it.

This weekend I went to the Virginia Wine and Garlic Festival at Rebec Vinyards. I sampled some non-alcoholic ciders from Saunders Orchards. They had Muscadine, Peach, Blackberry, and Scuppernog ciders that was unreal. My Fiance and I have been looking for non-alcoholic beverages for our wedding. At 4.50 a bottle we were sold. I picked up a bottle of each for my family to sample.

I did see one kilted gentleman at the festival. I did not go kilted as the place was a muddy mess from the rain.

Doc

[cormacmacguardhe]

M.A.C. Newsome, thanks. I have not yet legally changed it but I am starting the process to make Cormac MacGuardhe my legal name. I want to honor my Highland ancestors. My grandmother was Flora MacQuarrie born in Renfrew. I decided to use a more Gaelic spelling of the last name.

[Riverkilt]

Yikes! Cider was my downfall in college. We'd buy the unpasturized stuff from the food tech dept and let it ferment. Tasted like stomach tossings so we'd strain it through cloth then load it up with sugar.

We'd drink it and it seemed to have little effect for the first 15 or 20 minutes...when it kicked in it was like someone hit me behind the head with a two by four board.

Once passed out on cider on a Friday night, woke up Sunday afternoon at 4pm thinking it was Saturday...lost a day.

Of course I didn't sip the stuff like a gentleman, I chugged it like a fraternity rat on binge.

My cider days ended after a batch of it gave me e-coli and I wound up with a bad case of you know what for about six weeks.

Been sober 15 years now but still love the smell of the stuff.

More power to those of you who can enjoy like a gentleman. Have a wee dram for me.

Ron

[LordDamax]

I ferment pasturized stuff with beer or wine yeast. I use santitizer. It's safer that way