A few weeks back we stopped in a little pub between water polo games. They had a great beer selection on tap, so I asked if they had any gluten free beers. The bartender said they didn't have beer but they had a new hard cider on tap that came from a local business.
I was skeptical. Ciders tend to be too sweet for my taste. I'm a beer girl; present tense even though I can't have gluten beer anymore.
She handed me a glass of cider that was drawn from the tap and said, "It's called 'Leprechaun'. The company is here in Houston. I think you'll like it. It's not too sweet."
I tried it.
I'll try anything, especially if it tugs at my jingoistic pride for all things Texan AND makes homage to my Irish roots.
In the eloquent words of Ana Steele, from the book I call Fifty Shades of Meh, "Holy cow!"
It was good! Not just, "I'm-drinking-this-because-I-have-to" good but really, really good!
It reminded me more of a sparkling wine than a cider. I later read that champagne yeast is used rather than beer yeast in the brewing. That probably accounts for the slightly drier feel this cider has compared to others.
But it was only a sample. Would a whole bottle of it be as tasty?
Excited to see that the company has grown from tap-only distribution to having stock in stores, I found some at HEB.
I've enjoyed every bottle I've purchased so far. It's not beer but it doesn't have to be beer. It's good on its own merit. It pairs well with spicy foods, (gluten free) pizza, salads, hot summer nights and crispy fall weather.
The only problem I can find with this cider is that every time I open one my mind goes straight to this...
If you get a chance to try Leprechaun, let me know what you think.
Bottoms up or should I say, "I want the gold! Show me the gold!"?
