I haven’t been to London for almost 7 years now…but my wife is going this week and I was just curious if some products I remembered from my visit were still available (so that I can tell her to look for them):
“Death” brand cigarettes (NOT “Black Death” cigarettes, ehich are available in the U.S.)–I appreciated their candor
plastic 2-Liter bottles of “Strongbow” cider; we have Strongbow on tap or in smaller glass bottles in the U.S., but I just found it amusing to buy a big, fat, 2-liter of hard cider. Never could understand why American beer, etc., is not available in 2-liter bottles.
Don’t know about cigarettes, but “Strongbow” and other ciders are still going strong in 2 litre (and sometimes larger) bottles.
Am I correct in understanding that “cider”, in the US, refers to a non-alcoholic apple drink? If so, an encounter with a 2L bottle of Strongbow could lead to some surprised (not to mention horizontal) Americans…
Yes, “cider” still means “freshly pressed, cloudy apple juice” to most Americans. “Hard cider” is an alcoholic apple drink.
But hard ciders have been gaining popularity here (thank god) in the past 5 years, so not many people would be caught off guard, I think, when they picked up a bottle (most importantly b/c hard cider is marketed with the beer over here, and alcoholic drinks are stocked completely separately from any soft drinks).
Sorry to disagree with Pnuk guy but I thought ‘Death’ brand ciggies were no longer available. As I understand it, the candid name was not the only significant thing about the brand. They were also shipped directly to the UK customer from elsewhere in the EU, which made them a lot cheaper. However, this was deemed illegal, there was a legal scuffle and the Death guys lost. I haven’t seen or heard of the brand for many years. But maybe I’m wrong.
No such problems with Strongbow cider. Still available everywhere, with supermarkets your cheapest source.
I love someone with a tag of Moonshine making a comment on cider since the best cider often has, …er… lets just say entrepreneurial aspects to its manufacture and distribution.
If you are ever in the vicinity of the UK then I would suggest you make efforts to avoid Strongbow Cider and Woodpecker Cider which are soulless and sterile imitations of the real thing.They are brewed, if thats the right word for mixing a whole bunch of chemicals, by national brewing giants who ensure a maximum profit minimum outlay product that is homogenised, pasteurised and beyond drinking.
Get thee down to the true home of Cider, or Zoider, as the local call it, Someset, Devon, and Cornwall.
The best places to get it I’ve found are at agricultural shows that take place in the summer. Thes are quite big events with stock shows, machinery displays and lots of drunken yokels - now you know why.
