[Sca-cooks] OT: Trip to Ireland

[Susan Fox-Davis]

"Mark.S Harris" wrote:

> Vara commented:
> > Cider is very available but don't forget cider in Ireland is VERY
> > alcoholic...as strong as a strong beer in some cases.
> > woodpecker is sweet

and made in America, Vermont if my memory serves?  Good though.

> > blackthorn dry
> > and scrumpy or rough cider is suitable for taking varnish off of furniture.
> > In drink scrumpy
>
> The first two are available here in the United States. Unless they
> brew a different one for us, I personally don't remember them being
> that alcoholic but then I prefer wines to beer so maybe my calibration
> is different.

Woodpecker and Blackthorn are alcoholic, but not very.  Scrumpy, on the other
hand... it is very.

> I've never seen this "scrumpy" here. Has anyone else?

Ah yes, aka 'scumpy' aka "where did my knees go?"  I treasure the memory of a bus
tour through the West Country of Devon and Cornwall, where our sagacious driver
knew the best roadside stand to get us this nectar of Avalon.  Basically, it's
homebrew apple cider and it can be strong.

> I wish there were more ciders available here.

Yes and no.  They market some ciders in Canada, which I thought of as a good
thing until I tried some with various artificial flavors in it.  Yuck.  You're
better off squishing your own apples and brewing your own.

Tangentially, I'm beginning to take my first baby steps into brewing [as opposed
to macerating cordials] by making a fermented fruit pot out of all those $%^&
plums from my parents' tree.  The plums have not much solid matter left, the
yeast seems to have calmed down and the purple fluid in the bucket is just a
little scary.  I'll brave the peril sometime soon.

Selene Colfox
selene at earthlink.net