By Erin Hansen

Now, as anyone who knows me can attest, I LOVE all things cider ~ picking up a gallon after apple-picking, enjoying a warm mug of it in front of the fireplace (with a cinnamon stick, of course), drinking the sparkling version in lieu of champagne…but I’d never had Irish Cider ~ that is, until I was sent a lovely sample bottle of Magners Irish Cider, packaged with a great glass and some background information (god do I love my job perks!). Waiting, responsibly, until I got home, I sat down and poured myself a glass, not sure what to expect. What I got was a crisp, sophisticated apple taste, not too sweet, not too tart, perfectly carbonated (I hate drinks that are so bubbly that they burn my mouth or make me sneeze immediately) and absolutely delicious. I practically wrung out the bottle to get every drop.

And then I read the information that came with it. Magners is the only hard cider imported from Ireland; the company nurtures its own extensive apple orchards and uses the same presses used to make it 50 years ago. Ah, tradition! The drink is derived from the juice of 17 varieties of apples using a production process very similar to that of wine ~ it’s 4.5% alcohol by volume, only 125 calories per 11.2 oz. bottle, and is gluten free (good deal for the over 3 million US consumers who can’t drink beer).

So where can you try my now favorite alcoholic beverage? Magners is available in pubs, restaurants, and convenience stores in draught, 12oz. and pint bottles. You can also head to O’Connor’s in Worcester, Banner Bar & Grill in Worcester, British Beer Company in Framingham, Cosmopolitan Club in Worcester, Horseshoe Pub in Hudson, Irish Times in Worcester, Mickey Cassidy’s in Medway, and the Old Time Pub in Clinton.

For more information on Magners Irish Cider, visit www.magnerscider.com/. You can also Google “Magners Irish Cider song” to find some very funny versions of the ad song ~ including some YouTube clips that are quite entertaining.
ENJOY!