yes, beer can

Another holiday upon us, and I'm cheating again!  It's Beer Can Appreciation Day, but I don't have a beer.  It is hard cider, another drink that you don't expect to find a huge amount of quality in if it's in a can.  But, if cans can be better for beer, they can be for cider too.  It seems the first canned beer in the US came from New Jersey-based Krueger in 1935, but they didn't become popular packaging until after the Second World War.  Steel cans were produced in Germany in the early years of the 20th century, but again, did not catch on.  Cans appeared in the UK around the same time as they did in the US, and apparently did not suffer much from lack of material once the war was over.  Spain saw its first cans in the '50s at the hand of Mahou.  The benefits of cans are simple - cans are cheaper to produce, easier to recycle, cool faster, protect the beer from light better.  It's true that you don't feel as fancy chugging from a can as sipping from a bottle, but pour a glass and take care of that problem.

I was looking for beer, of course, but just seeing a can labeled "meadery" was enough to catch my eye.  Superstition Meadery has put together a delightful sounding blend of flavors for their Super Station hard cider.  Let's see if they play nicely together.  The cherry has had quite an impact on the color, but it's not as powerful in the aroma.  There's a little ginger, a little lime, and something I can only identify as out-of-doors.  It's pretty heavy feeling, not as light and refreshing as some more well-known cider names, but it doesn't have that oversweet sensation that is also common.  It is sweet, a little bit of cherry candy, but it's held tight and doesn't overwhelm you.  It's an interesting balance of the more summery fruits and that ginger I associate more with winter treats.  It's tasty and energizing, a good choice for those who don't feel up to a good stout or a fruity but heavy modern IPA.

Supplier: La Mundial

Price: €10