I’ll admit it, when it comes to my alcoholic beverages I’m a full-on, stereotypical girly woman.

I like my booze like I like my men: sweet and flavorful. Boone’s Farm, anyone?

No, but really, I’ve never liked beer. And believe me, its been a rough four years with an aversion like that.  I’ve never experienced all the things real college kids are supposed to experience: never had that magical beer pong moment of friendship and camaraderie, never downed a 12 pack from a beer bong like all the hardcore kids, never did a keg stand (well, for more than .2 seconds and least) and never strolled up to a local bar and demanded a cold Miller like one of the boys.

Yep, it’s been Boone’s Farm (Melon ball flavor, obviously) Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Amaretto sours for me, that is until I was captivated by hard cider.

Straight-up hard cider. From the U.K, no less.

That’s right, I may not have met my soul mate at Marquette but I have found my intoxicating significant other in Strongbow, the “authentic English cider with a dry and refreshing finish.”

It’s a good thing I finally found Strongbow. Not only do I feel cooler ordering at the bar, but this drink’s apple infused overtones mixed with a hard edge is immensely satisfying. In fact as I sit here writing this, drinking my Strongbow, I’m feeling pretty darn satisfied, dare I say even delighted. Hard cider has that affect on people.

Strongbow is an import cider first mulled into existence by the late H.P. Bulmer in 1887. Largely considered the “household name in cider,” Strongbow is named after the knight Richard de Clare, later Earl of Pembroke, nicknamed “Strongbow” for relying heavily on Welsh archers during campaigns in Ireland, where the native Irish had few bows.

Strongbow has 5.0% alcohol volume in a 12oz bottle, but it’s barely noticeable with its golden radiance and sweet essence that permeates the mouth upon sippage. This hard cider accounts for over half of the cider sold in England and is pretty top-shelf because it is produced with a Royal Warrant; aka: even the Queen is obsessed.

Strongbow has slight similarities to beer, but the overall taste, presentation and awesomeness-factor is much better. Trust me on this one. With its crisp and authentic current of taste-bud bliss with every swig, you couldn’t choose a better beverage for your night out (or in, for that matter).

Popularity: 3% [?]

This beer column has gone corporate! Blatz Liquor in the new Blatz condo building on Broadway has graciously allowed me to discuss some of their great products. Since they have bestowed me with this honor, I first wanted to talk about them. Much like Open Pantry, Blatz has a very cold/refreshing beer cave. The major difference is that they remove the dozens of boxes of Keystone, Hamm’s and Busch and replace them with a refreshing selection of microbrews. The selection includes a number of variety packs from various breweries, which is always a great way to find new favorites. Now to the beer!

A delightful and easy to find beer is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. However, this is not what I am going to talk about. The beer that I was so excited to try is Sierra Nevada’s new nationwide offering, Torpedo. Torpedo is a very good middle of the road Indian Pale Ale (IPA). One thing that is so pleasant about this new twist on the IPA are the not so hard to taste citric undertones. This is an awesome addition because so many IPA’s will blow you away with an overwhelming hops taste. On the topic of why it’s called torpedo, the rumor is that when making an IPA, breweries use a torpedo-like device to submerge the extra hops into the beer. I can’t say if this is true or not, but who cares? That just sounds cool.

Along the same lines, I tried out Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale. It’s from the Flying Dog Brewery and it’s really nice and subtle. I would liken it to Hoegaarden Light. Not nearly as complex or robust, but if you’re looking for something a little easier to drink than you might like it doggie style. Doggie style does finish with a somewhat spicy taste, which I think, gives it an original taste. This spicy characteristic is a bit surprising on the first sip but by the end of the beer it’s hard not to find it refreshing.
In closing, if you’re a fan of great beer like me you should definitely check out the new Blatz beer cave. Also, make sure to find a pale ale that you like because the hoppy taste can be very soothing and usually has a high alcohol content!

Popularity: 25% [?]