I don't drink a whole lot of beer, given my position in the Weird Soda Lab. Beer is a strange beverage, full of it's own complexities, and with rituals and customs of its own. While I do enjoy it, it's not my specialty. Here, though, we have what appears to be a crossover; a non-alcoholic fruit which claims affiliation as a beer. I'm not sure what the basis for that affiliation is, whether it is brewed or prepared like a beer, or what. The brand seems to be the same as the name: "Apple Beer".
Well, on with the quaffing!
Where and when: purchased 3/12/09 at BevMo, Escondido, CA
Color: light golden brown, like a lightly toasted marshmallow
Scent: mild, light appleish scent.
Taste: very light. Tart apple juice with strong carbonation. Quite tart. There is only the slightest hint of bitterness as you would find in beer; it's much more like sparkling cider than beer. It's nice. The aftertaste has a bit more of the bitterness. It's worth noting that this isn't the bitterness of apple peel-it's beerier than that. Produces a small head when poured; this may be the basis of the beer kinship. As it warms up, the bitterness becomes slightly more prominent, as does the tartness of the cider.
Quaff rating: 3 and a half. Pleasant, and would probably be refreshing on a hot day.
Cough rating: 0.5. Only the tiny bitterness could be a problem.
Posts
Faygo Cotton Candy
1 week ago
i love apple beer! its probably my favorite drink! so f-ing refreshing
ReplyDeletemy first experience with apple beer goes back to 1966(approx, at age 6) had it at Squaw Valley ski resort.
ReplyDeleteat that time it was the ONLY place I knew that carried it. have not seen it since '69-70.
it was in a can,that looked alot like today's Heineken. I loved the stuff back then and it was the higlight of my family's Ski trips to Squaw Valley. would love to fnd some now!
The discovery of Apple Beer was during my first trip to California, 1969. I took a cross country train trip with a cousin in the middle of winter, so arriving in sunny California was a treat all its own, but I was in for another treat, an unexpected one. We were out cruising one day and stopped in a convenience store and that's where I discovered the tart and tasty drink. I was hooked and drank quite a few before we had to leave and return to the cold country of Illinois. It was years since I had enjoyed the brew and after moving to Florida and remembering Apple Beer, I searched for it locally and failed, but came across something similar and it was ok. It wasn't Apple Beer so I went online and had to order some. It was expensive, but it was nice to experience it once again. I am currently visiting Phoenix and it isn't here either. That's a bummer! I wish more retailers would stock it because I think it would be a good seller.
ReplyDeleteI had Apple Beer as a kid in the 60s, and I loved it. Only one place in town (which we rarely went near) carried it so it's safe to say I haven't had it in 45 years, until I bought a case of cans on line. It's good soda pop but IMO it's not the same stuff I had as a kid. Back then it had more of a yeastiness to it, like draft root beer. And I'm quite sure it was made with cane sugar rather than fructose. It's good but just not quite the experience I expected. It's not in quite the same league as some other pricey sodas I've had like Jones, IBC, etc. I don't know if I'll miss it when it's gone and have to order more. I don't think I'd be interested in the diet version, but I'm diabetic and have to restrict my intake of full sugar soda so the case I have will last a while. Still, disappointed that it appears to be a mass produced soda with fructose and syrup rather than an actual brew. The internet has allowed me to find and re-experience many fond childhood memories, but in this case, it came up a little short.
ReplyDelete