The folks promoting the new Somersby Hard Apple Cider invited me to sample some. On Sept. 10, Madison became the first of three U.S. markets to sell this import, which is available in 32 countries.

I have to admit I was skeptical. When I think of hard cider, I think of Woodchuck, which in my opinion tastes terrible. But Somersby changed my perception with the very first sip. The best way to describe it is it’s sweet and refreshing. In fact, you could seriously chug this stuff–it goes down that easily.

If you want to make the beverage even sweeter, you can mix it with, say, blueberry vodka for a Blueberry Apple Crisp, according to a recipe list I received. I mixed some Somersby with whiskey (called an Apple Jack) and was pleasantly surprised how well the two parts complemented each other.

I would definitely recommend Somersby Hard Apple Cider to anyone, especially those who like drinks that don’t taste too alcohol-y. However, I do want to warn you that each 11.2 oz. serving is 190 calories and 26 grams of carbs. Compare that to a beer like Spotted Cow, which per 12 oz. serving is 150 calories and 13 grams of carbs, and you can see the numbers are higher.

Currently, you can purchase Somersby at Steve’s Liquor, Neil’s Liquor, Riley’s, Woodman’s and Trixie’s Liquor, in addition to several bars.

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You can find a lot of fruity wines in Door County, but the relatively new and hard-to-find Island Orchard Cider [note: the URL is parked] adds to the mix “Normandy style sparking hard cider.” All five varieties are gluten-free, have seven percent alcohol and cost $12 plus tax (except for the Apple Pear Cider, which is $7).

We  bought two bottles of the aforementioned Apple Pear Cider, which is made with Bartlett pears and cider apples. It’s described as “very dry but ripe with pear flavor.”

Actually, compared to the two Brut Apple Ciders (one is oak aged for three months), the Apple Pear Cider didn’t seem that dry. The three of us splitting the bottle all had the same reaction to drinking it: a slight feeling of disgust when having that first taste (since our palettes were used to a sweeter apple juice or cider), but then the cider immediately grows on you until you’ve realized you just finished the bottle in less than 10 minutes.

This is a great drink while sitting on your patio. Just make sure to buy enough bottles, since you’ll likely go through them quickly.