New years Mulled Wine

The consumption of alcohol on the eve of the new year is a proud, if occasionally disastrous, tradition. Who are we to shun it?
We rang in 2012 with a bottle of some less than stellar white wine purchased at a severely unwelcoming liquor shop moments before it closed, so let's go out with a bit more style this time!
A bit of cross-promotion here, you can take a look at what recipe (or, uh "recipe") we used and the cooking process here, at my Mother's Squidoo article. Doing so might earn her a bit of pocket change, so get to it!

And how does it taste?
Well, neither of the wines that we used were particularly spectacular on their own, but they combine nicely. The dry red cuts the sugar and port well, while the spices round out the flavour and the lemon adds a pleasant kick. The flavours are all very intense and upfront, not a subtle drink in any sense.
That doesn't, surprisingly, extend to its alcoholic qualities. For the sheer amount of liquor in this, I had expected more of a punch and... it's actually pretty mellow in that respect!

Much better warm than when it gets to room-temperature, though. Ech.

A happy new year to you all, and I hope you continue to drink vicariously through us for another one!

Zywiec

"Three ingredients" it says.

"Boy," I think. "I hope one of them is beer."

First official Christmas-gift beer review! And... not the kind I had hoped for.

Let's talk about the design first, though.

I've sort of fallen in love with this bottle. It just makes me happy. There are designs stamped into the glass, the label on the back is cut to curve around a glass "seal", and there are lovely dancing Polish people on the front label! I like it.

And in terms of flavour?
Eehhh.. this is a light beer. And y'all know what that means.
Not that it's bad! Oh no! I just have absolutely no concrete opinion on it.
It's mild! It's refreshing! It has that slightly acrid back-of-tongue taste with little upfront! It's mild!

I mean, it says that it's Poland's number one premium beer, and I'm disinclined to think that the distant land of my ancestors picked a bad one, but...

Oh, give it a try if pale beers are your thing. Send me a note if you do.

Fresh Ginger

One of the fun things about going to Soda Jerks is that they carry beverages we just haven't seen anywhere else.  With a name like Soda Jerks, a long list of sodas is to be expected, but they also have a wide range of alcoholic beverages as well.

I, however, am the designated driver of the family, so soda it is!

On our most recent visit, I decided to try one of these "never seen anywhere else" drinks, and so we have:

Fresh Ginger - Ginger Ale by Bruce Cost
Flavour: Pomegranate with Hibiscus

I figured this was a safe choice.  I'm not a big fan of Ginger Ales, but I do like them mixed with fruit juice, and I really like pomegranate.  I should note that the menu didn't mention hibiscus, so pomegranate was all I was expecting.

This is what I got.

 The ingredients list is pretty basic.  Carbonated water, pure cane sugar, 100% fresh ginger, pomegranate puree, brewed hibiscus with filtered water, fresh lemon juice and citric acid.

Prominent on the label, it tells us that this particular drink is...

 Why yes...

Yes, it clearly ... opaquely? ... is definitely UNfiltered.

Hmmm...  I've seen that sort of thing floating on the bottom of pickle jars.  It typically means the seal has been broken and they've gone bad. 

Not encouraging.

The label does inform the intrepid tippler that "Separation is natural.  Shake gently." 

You mean I'm supposed to drink the dregs? 

Hmmm.

The bottle was already open, however, so shaking my carbonated beverage was not an option. 

 It actually poured fairly clear, but only because the ice filled glass couldn't hold the entire contents of the bottle.  After a few sips, I topped it up and my daughter gleefully stirred it for me, so as to disperse the chunky bits.

She's so helpful, isn't she?

So how did it taste?

Hmmm.

I've been saying that a lot with this drink.

As a pomegranate lover, it was a disappointment.  I could not taste pomegranate.  The dominate flavour was hibiscus.  It was only after I'd drunk about half the glass that I could finally feel - but still not really taste - the ginger. 

It kinda tasted like liquid bubblegum.

Also, because I just know you're wondering, no, I couldn't really tell that I was drinking chunky bits.

May I never write that sentence again.

All in all, it was rather bland.  No pomegranate kick.  No ginger kick.  Not even a lemon kick.  Lots of hibiscus flavour, though.  If I want hibiscus, I'll get tea, not soda.

I can't say that it was bad.  It was all right.  I'm glad I tried it, but it's highly unlikely I'll ever get it again.

Magners Irish Cider.

So I say "nope, not gonna turn this into a beer review blog", and what do I find under the Christmas tree?

Fancy beers. From my Mother.

Curse you, your knowledge of my tastes, and the unwarrented generosity you rode in on.

Not to worry, though. The plan is to stagger the posts a good way apart and fill the spaces in between with sodas and recipes and the like.

The first in the batch isn't actually a beer at all! It's a cider, and it has a nifty sheet of gold foil wrapped around its neck. The label isn't anything special. It wouldn't jump out at me on the shelf. That's not a problem in this case, though, and we can skip straight to the drinking.

Uh, maybe after taking the picture next time.

The carbonation is quite light, but the flavour is satisfyingly bold. Quite strong up front and fading to a sourish apply taste. In all, it's deeper than I usually expect from a cider, and a bit less sweet. Both count in its favour.
If you spot it, purchase and enjoy!


We at Thus Unquenched hope you all had an excellent Christmas, filled with warming beverages.