This time of year there's nothing quite like sluggin' back a yummy cider; especially a good hard cider.
So, when hubby and I were out the other night at our favorite pub for our weekly date night and I saw their special board I was excited to see Crispin Hard Cider.
All by itself Crispin is good . . . we had their original (5% ABV). It's definitely crisp tasting, a little dry, a little sweet. Yum.
But we decided to take it to a whole other level . . . add a shot of something to it.
I thought a caramel liquor would be good but they didn't have it behind the bar. So, we opted to try the cider with Buttershots butterscotch liquor instead.
I poured the shot into a pint glass and then poured the cider over top.
Oh my! Delicious. The butterscotch flavor didn't overwhelm the apple but added a rich and creamy taste that was oh so good!
And then, in a burst of sudden inspiration, I decided to try one with Fireball Cinnamon Whisky! Great balls of fire! It was like drinking apple pie (without the crust)!! Yes! This concoction is a keeper! Lip smacking awesomeness!
We were hanging out and enjoying the night life of one of our favorite pubs, The Red Parka Steakhouse & Pub in Glen, NH. Besides the ever present live entertainment and their amazing food offerings they always have a plethora of beer on tap or in bottles and cans.
On our recent visit there I spotted a new tap in their line up . . . Angry Orchard Cider. We'd been beering it up already that day so I was in the mood for something different. I like hard cider and the name was intriguing . . . kind of like the Angry Birds of apples. Works for me!
Crisp apple was the variety on tap. I liked it! It was crisp, flavorful and not too sweet. Overall it was quite refreshing and exceedingly drinkable. In a word . . . YUM!
As I was sipping my drunken apples, I got to thinking about the origins of this cider . . . where it came from and who made it.
I'd never heard of Angry Orchard before, but I had visions of an modest family owned orchard branching out from producing batches of apple cider to bottling their old family recipe for hard cider.
I was a little off base there . . . well, quite a bit off base actually.
In quick order, my research lead me to discover that Angry Orchard is owned and operated by Boston Beer, Co . . . makers of a better known product line Samuel Adams. Boston Beer Co quietly launched this new line in their multitudes of brews in 2011 with little fuss or fan fare.
Don't get me wrong . . . I like Sam Adams beer. They just can't be considered one of the little guys anymore. And the imagery my brain concocted of a small, locally owned micro-brewery was blown right out of the water . . . right out of the Boston Harbor, actually.
They currently have three varieties . . . Traditional Dry, Crisp Apple and Apple Ginger. ABV - 5%
As a side note, if it is of any consequence to you, Angry Orchard Ciders are both gluten-fee and Kosher certified.
The verdict? I liked it . . . a lot. Would I recommend it? Yes.
Cheers!
But we decided to take it to a whole other level . . . add a shot of something to it.
