Michelob Ultra Light Cider

The last fourteen years have not been particularly kind to me, physically. As it turns out, a near total lack of any kind of physical movement of any kind, along with a decade-long steady intake of uncured sausage and Jameson Irish Whiskey has turned by once wiry twenty-year-old frame kind of, well, paunchy. Doughy, even. With summer nearly in full swing, I’m turning my attention toward ways to curb my slowly-expanding belly without actually joining a gym or going outside.

I’m not normally one for hard ciders, and particularly not those of the gluten free and ultralight variety, but when the people at Michelob ULTRA asked us to try a six pack of their new “Light Cider,” new light, naturally sweetened and gluten-free cider made from crisp apples, at 120 calories (about 1/3 fewer per serving than other hard ciders), a quick glance down at all the new holes I’ve had to punch in my belt suggested that it might be worth a try.

From the manufacturer:

“‘As more people continue to discover cider, we’ve found that many view traditional ciders as either too heavy, too sweet or both,’ said Ryan Moore, vice president of premium lights, Anheuser-Busch. ‘This perception has often times limited ciders to a seasonal beverage during fall and winter, but we saw an untapped potential to expand the category as a year-round option. Michelob ULTRA Light Cider fills this void with a lower calorie cider with a milder, but distinct, sweetness that can be enjoyed straight or over ice.’”

I cracked my first bottle sitting in the warm sunshine on my back porch, drinking it straight from the bottle, though the manufacturer suggests that it can also be enjoyed over ice. Unsure if I wanted to get that involved with a lightly alcoholic lunchtime beverage, I immediately liked the fact that you weren’t hit over the head with synthetic apple flavoring; Michelob ULTRA Light Cider is exceptionally light, fizzy stuff, which I can imagine drinking on a Summer day or during a family cookout where it would be inappropriate to drink straight tequila and fall into the pasta salad. The flavor is much more in line with an alcoholic sparkling cider or even a bottom-shelf champagne, rather than regular hard ciders, which can sometimes be too thick and chewy. It’s crisp and easily drinkable, packing an alcoholic wallop that I didn’t notice until I’d already sucked down two or three.

Though it probably won’t replace regular beer in my seasonal drinking rotation, it’s nice to know that there is an alternative that offers light taste, lots of fizz, all while helping me get my newfound belly back under control. It’s perfect for a summertime meal outside, and I look forward to working my way through the rest of the six pack.

Which favorite summer meal or activity do you think would go best with Michelob ULTRA Cider?

Please visit Michelob’s site here:

• Michelob ULTRA Light Cider page on BlogHer.com
• Sponsor’s site

About the Author: Malcolm Bedell

My first memories of cooking start in Maine at six years old, when I wore a yellow rainslicker to avoid getting spattered by the bacon I was frying in a skillet. My interest in both Mexican cooking and recreating classic New England dishes from scratch developed while living in Mexico, on a steady diet of pork and habanero peppers. You can see more of my writing and photography online on Serious Eats, the Huffington Post, BlogHer, and Foodista, as well as in print for Downeast, Indulge, and Cigar Snob magazines.