So today's blog is all about what I am drinking now. It's summer time so that means Bobby and I have a party every weekend usually, either at our house or at someone else's house. And if you know anything about me, you know I love to drink. I have no children yet so I am taking advantage of living the free life with my husband before the major responsibility's come into play. So ever since going gluten free, I have had to learn what I can and cannot drink. Bourbon, Scotch, Whiskey and Beer are out of the question. Luckily, I only drank Beer from that group and at first it wasn't that hard. But once summer came and I was in the pool, it's all I wanted!!!!!!!!! I was craving a Modelo Especial or a Pacifico or even a Miller Lite would have worked.
So once I got over the fact that I beer was a no-no, I had to discover other things. I worked for a company called Spec's, where they have the largest beer department in the state of Texas. So while I worked in the wine department, I knew one of my beer guys could hook me up with something I could drink. He recommended me a gluten-free beer. I don't know about you, but they are awful! OMG...I spit it out because it tasted nothing like what I wanted. So I went back to him and asked if there was anything else I could have at the pool. I'm a huge wine lover but sometimes in 100 degree weather, wine just doesn't work. So he told me about this thing called Cider. The first time I heard Cider, I was thinking like Hot Apple Cider. Why would I want hot apple cider by the pool? And he took me over to the Cider section and showed me what he was talking about. Cider is made from apples and fermented at a low temperature. Once pressed, it becomes like apple juice. They take that and mix it with the alcohol like they would in beer. Beer is made from barley and wheat, so that is why people who suffer from a gluten intolerance, can't have it. So I bought one without trying and Holy Mother of Pink...was it amazing! The first one he showed me was by a company called Angry Orchard. And to this day, they are my favorite!
They come in a few different flavors: Traditional Dry, Crisp Apple, Green Apple, & Apple Ginger. Then they have ones that only come out at certain times of the year and they are Cinnful Apple and Elderflower. Cinnful Apple is my all-time flavor. I stock up on it so when it does go out of season, I have enough to last me. It comes out between October-March and then Elderflower is March-October.
Then they also have the Cider house collection which come in big bottles. They have a more aging process. They come in Strawman, Ice Man and The Muse. I have not had these yet. They are hard to find and more expensive.
The only thing I did not like about Angry Orchard, was that is always came in a bottle. And when I am by the pool, I don't want glass around it. I want a can because if you drop a can, it floats, Not breaks and you have glass in your pool! But I guess Angry Orchard heard my cry's and decided that they were going to put out cans. It only comes in 2 flavor but I do not care!!!! I love it. (on a side note, I have only been able to find it in the apple, not the ginger)
There is also another brand I really like, that has a lighter taste and less calories and less sugar. So when I'm by the pool, its Angry. When I just want something at the end of day and I don't want wine, I usually reach for a Crispin.
Crispin has a lot of flavors and they just don't use apple. They have a few pear ones too. Here are the flavors: Original, Brut, Pear, Blackberry Pear. In big bottles they come in: Honey Crisp, The Saint, Bohemian and Lion Belge Pear. They also have a barrel aged called Georgia. It also comes in box wine size. I have not been able to find it but I need to for my vacations!
One more cider I want to mention because when I say the name, your going to think beer. Stella Artois. but Stella is smart, and they have come out with a cider called Stella Cidre.
To me, this taste as close to beer as it can come. It doesn't have a very sweet apple taste to it. It's amazing how well they make this product. This is the one my dad drinks, because he too is Gluten-Free. And I just discovered that they just came out with a pear version. So I will be looking for this next time I go shopping!
So if you are gluten free or even if your not and you are wanting to try something new this summer, try these! You will love them. Besides white wine, these are my go to for almost every occasion. If you live in Dallas or around Dallas, I wanted to mention this new Cider bar that just came up in Bishop Arts area. My sister in law Kristen's cousin owns it. It is called Bishop Cider Co. and they have around 45-50 different ciders available. You can find them on Facebook to see what they actual have.
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