I decided to have an adventurous drinking day and try two beverages I hadn't had before. My first choice was the Ace Pumpkin Cider at Sonoma Winery. They poured my drink into a neon green cup so everyone knew I was drinking hard cider before noon (okay it was 11:45) but what the heck! This was for science!

This hard cider is Aces!

Sweet Nectar of the Autumn Gods

The cider was very tasty! It has a low alcohol content at 5% ABV (just like drinking a Zima!) but it was full of flavor. My first thought was "This tastes like I imagine Hogsmead to taste like!" Although I doubt Harry Potter ever licked the streets of Hogsmead, I imagine them to taste of pumpkin and magic, just like this hard cider. It was smooth and sweet but not overly sweet. It's probably my favorite pumpkin flavored item I've tried so far this year.





Towards the end of my afternoon I decided to head to the Hearthstone at the Grand Californian Hotel. I decided to keep up my adventurous spirits and try something I've never had before... The Smoked Turkey.

Its good to try new things!

I will be honest with you. I didn't think I was really a bourbon fan. I ordered this drink strictly because it came with THREE Luxardo cherries. These things are my favorite and they are best enjoyed after being soaked in a tasty adult beverage. I ordered it and took it out the back doors to the fireplace. I had the whole area to myself. I timidly took a sip of my drink and it was delicious!

A perfect peaceful Sunday afternoon

It tastes like cherries and a light smokey flavor. I'm not sure how that was achieved but it was so delicious and each little cherry was like a little treasure when I ate it. This will definitely be added to my regular drink rotation from now on. Two new beverages and two successes! Its always good to expand your horizons and try new things.