Happy Hour [8/10/21]

I need a drink

8/10/21 Hannibal 17

Last week @brightersideoflife let me know about Brick River’s Autumn Spice Cider. Unfortunately, it looks like it’s not available in my area. But it did get me curious about what other fall quaffs are out there. Pumpkin beers and ales have become seasonal staples. And it turns out that there are pumpkin beverages for us non-beer drinkers too. Including a number of ciders, liquor, liqueurs, and the ubiquitous hard seltzer.

We’ve already talked about pumpkin beers and cocktails. How do you feel about some of the other ready-to-drink libations on the market – unnecessary, disgusting, or worth checking out?

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17 Comments

  1. im not a fan of any of the ready to go from a can special flavours….they kind of are all shit over here

     

    but then….i only drink beer…which kinda limits my selection

    if im feeling the need ill order myself a diesel at a bar (also known as a snakebite and black)

    its delicious….and will almost inevitably lead to me chucking up everywhere coz my body remembers the cider years and rejects that shit…

  2. My favorite local distiller has a spiced apple brandy that is supposed to be good that I want to try.

    I just bottled almost a case of hard cider which I fermented. Unfortunately a couple of bottles blew in the pasteurizing bath which was scary. Fortunately the pot I was using had the lid on, but the bang was pretty alarming. I definitely need to work out my process better next time.

  3. I have an apple brandy that I bought to make a fall sangria for a small gathering I had. I wasn’t crazy about it. Any suggestions for ways to use the brandy other than sipping it? Good luck with future ciders, that does sound a little scary.

  4. I’m not a beer drinker, save for a few labels of Belgian and German breweries. [I also like the Danish brewer Evil Twin and have had a nice pint at a couple of Czech spots.] I appreciate the strictness and minimalism in many of the German beers. While Belgian beers have this reputation for putting everything into their concoctions, that’s mainly a trait of American-based Belgian-inspired brewers, in my experience.

    So “No” to pumpkin-flavoured ales…and I never did go for hard cider, so hard pass on pumpkin that, too.

    You could convince me that some sort of autumn squash flavour in a mixed drink would be good in moderation, though.

    • I used to love beer and ale, my fave back in the day was Whitbread. But my tastes have changed. I like hard ciders but not ones that are too fruity, with berries and stuff. But I’d probably like the spiced ones. One of our local cideries does a nice plum and thyme one. But I’m still not drinking indoors.

  7. Of all odd things to have here, a few years ago a whiskey distillery opened – Switchgrass Spirits. I admit I don’t have the palate for what makes a good whiskey. But they do have a really good mix called Gold Dust which is their bourbon with fresh ginger, lemon juice/pulp, and honey added to it. It’s closest to a whiskey sour I guess in flavor, but without the harsh acidity that can happen with this. I like to drink it on the rocks with a floater of ginger ale.

    We also got a ton of regional wines, some of which are good, some are less so. But the dessert wine blends make great bases for sangria and punches!

      • Yeah it’s a very nice flavor with the bourbon.

        I talked with one of the distillers because they were selling it at one of the farmer’s markets and he explained that the honey came from his uncle’s farm since the uncle keeps beehives. Which I thought was cool, that they were able to be that involved with the raw materials!

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