Hard Cider

Drink triggers something, when you have got to a pleasant state, that urges you to drink more, maybe you are getting closer and closer to your uninhibited self, which, clearly, has no inhibitions about drinking more. I now have what almost feels like a pre-programmed shut off, past the second drink and thats it, stop. I think I created a kind of aversion therapy thing sub-conscioulsy.

 I think for myself part of my brain still measures things by when I used to drink alot. It has problems understanding that another beer is a lot more beer.

Luckily I simply get to a point of optimal tipsiness, maybe a bit overwhelmed,  and I feel like “Yeah, I don’t need another. I’ll enjoy this while it lasts.” I don’t like the thought of losing control.

I’m a big fan of cider. I can’t drink beer (coeliac) or red wine (other gut problems) so I just go through litres of the stuff. I really like French ciders, but the easiest available here that I like are Magners/Bulmers, or Rekorderlieg. Great stuff. :wink:

We use the term ‘soft drink’ for the stuff you would call soda. I have never heard of a British drink made _ with _ scrumpy - nothing that’s available nationally fits that description at least not that I know of. Maybe a regional thing from the one of the three cider making counties; Cornwall, Devon or Somerset? Sounds nice whatever it is.

I wonder if he means snakebite (cider and beer mixed in equal proportions)?

MrNemo- I’ll have to look for some French ones around here, haven’t seen any yet but here’s hoping. So where are you located? I ask to make the search for those others easier.

I wish my memory was a bit clearer, but it might be snakebite then. If so, what type of beer would they use?

I’ve noticed that a lot of the domestic ciders are pretty tart, probably because of the citric acid etc they add. So many are not something I’d buy very often. Also some have a distinct vineger(sp?) taste which I dislike, unless it’s a very faint trace. One time I tried a Crispin and it had that taste, probably not worth buying again-for me. So far my fave is a domestic scrumpy, no offensive characteristics. From looking at the labels of many bottles, they are often only partially cider, mixed with a few other ingredients. Must keep up the search, I guess…

Its typically made with lager of some sort.

Ah, makes sense. A heavy ale might not mix so well, now as I think about it, maybe an IPA could work (I crave hops).

My only disappointment with the ciders is that it seems the good ones are pretty expensive, at least around here. Are they really that costly to produce?

@bish777 - In the part of the world I grew up in you would sometimes hear people asking for a pint of diesel. What they meant was snakebite with a shot of blackcurrant syrup in it, which turned the mixture the same shade as agricultural tax-exempt diesel (which is dyed red in the UK). Probably tasted pretty similar, too.

I think it must be snakebite, where I come from they would have half a pint of chilled Special Brew or Kestrel super and half a pint of Strongbow…ok, that’s how I have it. 

I want to try that. I find a lot of beer and beer like drinks mix well.

yep snakebite is half cider half beer where i am from …  @sloth357   you should try a bit of that blackcurrant syrup in a guinness    lovely stuff  .

@jpsks - Guinness and blackcurrant? You’d need to be careful where you asked for that. Try it in an Irish pub and they’d probably sling you out for insulting the Guinness!

I`m quite partial to black rat, but I believe it may be an acquired taste…

I vaguely recall hearing that- but snakebit was the main one I heard, and guiness and black. (I hail from the west country.)

@bish777 - In the part of the world I grew up in you would sometimes hear people asking for a pint of diesel. What they meant was snakebite with a shot of blackcurrant syrup in it, which turned the mixture the same shade as agricultural tax-exempt diesel (which is dyed red in the UK). Probably tasted pretty similar, too.

Definitely “drink for thought”(forgive me). Seriously, now there’s a few new things for me to try, thank’s folks!

@sloth357  i am from n . ireland but live in cali now   … so i was drinking that in bars in ireland  people gave you strange looks but if they tried it they loved it … only talking a drop or two of blackcurrant

Sounds good! Probably a perfect drink for the Summer…

Guiness and lime. If you can find a barman willing to serve it it’s fantastic.

I’ll have to try that, does sound unusual, but unusual can be good. The first time I had Guiness I was suprised, it wasn’t as heavy as I suspected. Another interesting thing is that in the US there are two different vs of Guiness, the more common I think in a can, and the rarer- I hear more genuine- one in a larger bottle. Apparently the ones we get are brewed under contract in Canada- might be not as good as the original from the island I suppose.