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

pear tree!

 On the first day of Beermas I went and got for me

The simplest answer there could be

Yeah, so this is a little obvious, but never fear!  I've been more creative for other days.  To start with, we have The Good Cider Pear.  Of course.  The Good Cider claims it has once hundred years of history in San Sebastián behind it, and it could well be true given the popularity of cider in the north since forever.  However, I wonder if the company didn't have a name change fairly recently.  Although, maybe not.  If Germans, English and Flemings made the most lasting breweries, why wouldn't a cidery also be founded by British hands? 

It has a little more fizz than I was expecting, giving a slight head at the beginning and leaving a bubbly little ring around the glass.  It's very light colored and transparent, more tan than a lot of apple ciders.  The scent is strongly fruity, decidedly pear, and with a hint of bubble gum.  Don't know about that last part, but maybe it won't translate to the taste.  At first it's clearly just a pear drink, but then a wave of sour and bitter hits.  And yes, a little bubble gum trails the cider down the throat.  It's not too strong, though.  While it's not super sweet, it doesn't have the dryness of, say, an Asturian cider and is quite refreshing.  It would be more appropriate for warmer weather, but it's certainly not bad for December, and it fits the song.  So that's that.

seeing red

It's been a bearable weekend temperature-wise, but it sounds like the next week is going to get shitty.  I have a possible antidote with a nice cider, a Spanish one to boot.  The Good Cider pops up occasionally in the stores, although not always the Wild Berry version.  This time is was right by the door of Más Que Cervezas, although towards the bottom shelf.  Since the place is small and there were people browsing before me, I had a little motivation to check out every little thing.  There were plenty of other interesting beers, and a couple did make it into the bag, but a berry cider every once in a while is definitely a treat.

It's a totally appetizing reddish cider, slightly transparent and fruity scented, not quite like wine but something similar.  It's oddly not sweet, a little tart actually, but light and refreshing.  Years ago I had a berry mead that had a flavor along the same lines, but was much heavier.  The cider is something of a British style, with the sweetness and the smoothness, but it's not quite as syrupy as a lot of them are.  It's not a particularly complex or surprising flavor, almost like a spiked Kool-Aid in fact, but it is undeniably nice.

pinkish

The heat of August is suffocating, and sometimes even a cold beer doesn't quite seem like the thing.  Even though you might actually lose heat as the alcohol dilates your blood vessels towards the surface of your skin, it's not a very comfortable way to cool off.  Still want that buzz, though, so maybe something a little bit lighter.  A cider?  That sounds nice about now!  There are national ciders in the British style, not just the dry Asturian ones, but I only saw Kopparberg at La Buena Pinta.  It's a trustworthy drink, I'll take it.  They had the mixed fruit one, which is more my style than plain apple, so home it went.

Lightly tinted, thin but white head, and a dazzling fruity aroma.  It's a bit like lip gloss or perfumed things for children, so sweet is it, but I have hopes that the cider won't be cloying.  At first sip anyway, it's only a mild sweetness, with a little kick of bitter at the very end.  It's a fun tickly drink with the carbonation, feeling kind of like a "natural" soda more than an alcoholic beverage.  It's not perfectly clean, there's a bit that remains at the back of the tongue, although there are certainly stickier beers out there.

Supplier: La Buena Pinta
Price: €2.70

secret recipe

Something a little lighter today, after stouts and heavy ales.  A cider normally makes me think of fall, but a red fruit cider has summer written all over it.  Bulmers has visited my table before, but Sabores del Mundo has a cider selection like I haven't seen elsewhere.  Not only regular apple and pear, but all kinds of fruit blends.  I do like those red fruits, cherry, strawberry, etc., crushed red berries fit the bill.  I'm a little irked that they don't specify what berries anywhere, but I guess they're the regular ones.

It's rosy ruby red and fizzy, like cherry and raspberry lambics, but the smell is much sweeter.  There's just a touch of lime in the scent, adding a slightly sour balance.  Like many ciders, it starts out sweet and moves down into a pleasant sour flavor, although there's a sort of bubble gum taste in there too.  Fortunately, it stays more sharp than gummy, a refreshing bite in the heat of the August afternoon.  It may be the hot pink color, but it seems to me that a kind of cinnamon scent develops with a little time and warming.  It's not quite Kopparberg's Strawberry and Lime, but it's light and summery.  A fine drink for the shade and to keep a heated conversation cool.

Supplier: Sabores del Mundo
Price: €4.70

green leaves and apples

Yeah, I was a little late with the last beer, for philosophical reasons.  Or maybe I should say meaningful ones.  Anyway, here's a chance to make up for it with a double - my regular Saturday and St. Patrick's!  Oddly, I didn't see any Irish beers on the shelves, but there was a small selection of cider.  I wavered between two, in the end picking up Craigies, mostly because the little vehicle on the label made me smile more.  It looks like the bicycle with an armchair on it.  Just the sort of thing you might create after five ciders or so.

It's very fizzy and a little cloudy, what you might expect from an apple product.  The smell is like apple juice (of course) but also a little buttery and smoky.  It's not nearly as sweet as some more commercial ciders, and not as dry as most Spanish ones, but the apple flavor is definitely present.  There's also the sharp taste of fermentation, reminding me of our non-alcoholic ciders and pleasant fall weather.  It's a nice, naturally sweet tasting drink, with its features linking up to all parts of the year: sharpness and fizz are refreshing for spring and coming summer; apple essence and a little spiciness bring October and December to mind, with cider or spiced drinks for the cold weather. 

Supplier: La Birratorium
Price: €4.45

pink like a happy heart

Oh, poor beer stores, you've had a heyday, and like everybody else you get low points too.  A lot of stores have opened in the last few years, but I've also seen a couple of closings.  La Zurbanita didn't last that long.  I'm a little sorry I didn't go more, since it was handy for me.  Also, Cervezorama has gone back to the grave.  Let us raise our glasses to our fallen.

No pouring out!

Hold on, that doesn't look much like a beer...and it isn't.  It isn't even a lambic.  It's organic apple cider, with red currant juice for color.  Also organic.  The Beer Garden has been stocking ciders and juices for some time, although I haven't much paid attention to them.  Today, for some reason, the pink cider really stood out on the shelf.  Maybe because it's warm enough to walk around without a jacket.  Early spring is upon us!  So, a refreshing German cider might be just the thing tonight.

It looks very much like the cranberry wine from a while ago, although a bit bubblier.  It even has a winey sort of smell.  There's also a dryness and crispness to the taste, somewhat like Spanish ciders, but also with some help from the currants I'd think.  Although sharp at first, the taste mellows, or the tastebuds get used to it and it settles into a sweeter flavor.  Also like the wine, it would be nice to have something cheesy to go with this cider, more than something salty, even.  It's a little light for a winter night, although warm temperatures have returned for the moment.  I'll be back to my stouts any time now!

Supplier: The Beer Garden
Price: €4.50

Beermas Day 1

On the first day of Beermas I poured out for me
A pear cider fresh off the tree

Oh, the first day and I'm already cheating!  Cider is not beer!  It's in the same family, though, and damned if I can find a beer that has anything to do with partridges.  Bulmers is a fairly common cider producer, to be found in bars and larger supermarkets, but I needed something with pears.  Lindemann has peaches and pineapples, of all things, but no pear lambic.  Not in the stores I frequent at least.  Still, I'm not dissatisfied with a pear cider, even if it feels like a more summery drink than is probably warranted at the moment.

It has a dry and slightly sharp scent, kind of like a Spanish cider.  It's sweet at first, though, not dry or champagne-like, but a little sour does creep out just before the drink goes down.  It's not as sweet as regular apple cider, and not as cloying as they can be, but it is a fresh and clean taste.  Probably would be better if I had been running around shopping today, but hah!  Santa's already come.  I guess considering where I am, I should be preparing for the Magi too.

Supplier: Más que Cervezas
Price: €2.99

pretty in pink

Now that spring is coming up, I felt like a little change.  Maybe a nice, light cider instead of the usual snappy ales or substantial stouts.  The Beer Garden had a selection of ciders, mostly Swedish, and I am a sucker for berry mixes.  Rekorderlig has a rather strong, sour smell, although pleasant.  It looks a bit like a rose wine, with the color and the tiny bubbles.  The taste also surprises with a sour kick at the end, but it definitely starts out sweet, like the popular Irish or British ciders of the moment.  Refreshing, definitely summery, a little sugar for energy and a little alcohol to let it out.

an eye to summer

It's not beer, but it's good to have a little something different every once in a while.  Kopparberg was sitting among the lambics in the shop and the strawberry lime blend called to me more than the usual cherry (I'd had a Belgian cherry beer just a couple of days before anyway).

The smell is very sweet, like strawberry candy.  There's hardly any citrus at all in it.  The taste is also sweet, but there's a good amount of sour underneath, and once swallowed there's a tiny snap of bitter at the back of the tongue.  It hangs around in the throat for a while, a little sticky and syrupy.  Although pleasant tasting, it's not as clean as I prefer for refreshment after work or on a warm evening.

The light doesn't do it justice.  It looks almost like Cherry 7-Up