Ace Apple Hard Cider: Produced by the California Cider Company

Why does apple cider live in the beer section at the store? It's bottled in the same kind of bottle, and often sold as six-packs. But there's nothing that really legitimately makes cider a beer. Cider requires one ingredient only--apple juice, which is fermented to make the alcohol. So unlike a lambic or other fruit beers, there is no barley or yeasts that make a beer a beer. There are similarities though--it's carbonated, related in color, and similar in alcohol content, hovering between 3–15% alcohol by volume. One Woman feels that if Cider gets to live in the beer aisle, there should be a special designation for certain malted milkshakes to qualify as beer by virtue of its foam resilience.

 

Some studies (and this one) say that Apple Cider as health benefits (phenolics and antioxidants!) so drink up! Well, not so fast. Others say that they don't really. Hmm. Sounds like that never-ending debate about coffee or wine.

In any case, Ace Apple Hard Cider is made in Sonoma County from California apples. It has a very pale, light color like a sparkling white wine, and mild carbonation. It's pretty sweet, but not syrupy, and has a little hint of the bitters. You could think of it as an alternative to wine or beer, but One Woman prefers to think of it as an alternative to a soda or sparkling water. Think, picnics on a grassy, sunny afternoon with a brie and fig paste sandwich on a chewy baguette. Pick a spot where you can see lots of wild flowers, and take a deep breath and savor.

Musical pairing of the evening: Filament (Sachiko M and Otomo Yoshihide). Because there is always some agitation beneath the sweetness.
(And also, because One Woman is trying to prepare for a lecture on Noise music).