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Upon finding the solitary chiller cabinet I see that the only chilled booze they have on offer is the oddly titled Mike's Hard Lemonade.
So, with all good intentions, I pick up a pack of 4 and head home (after paying of course).
I had the honour of trying a bottle, but I'm not sure ... Read review
So off I go without a complaint (knowing full well I'll be able to purchase myself a few large Grolsch bottles).
Upon finding the solitary chiller cabinet I see that the only chilled booze they have on offer is the oddly titled Mike's Hard Lemonade.
So, with all good intentions, I pick up a pack of 4 and head home (after paying of course).
I had the honour of trying a bottle, but I'm not sure if this was because she wanted to see if it killed me before she tried it...hmmm
So.....to the review
Introduction:
Mike's Hard Lemonade originates from the good old USA, where it seems to have a strangle hold on the alcopop type market. I'm almost certain that it's only recently appeared over here in the UK, maybe only a year or two ago, going by what I have read about it elsewhere.
This drink seems to market itself as more of a traditional American street corner lemonade with added vodka (of the cheap kind, I must add). Not that it isn't an alcopop as such, but I just don't think there really is a market for what we would call alcopops in the USA...so of course, they need to market differently to get attention.
Packaging:
Available in packs of four 275ml bottles, or as a single bottle.
The carboard sleeve around the four pack is black. The bottle labels are black....it's all black! BLACK!
*cough*
As well as the black, there is obviously the brandname, and a logo (outline of a lemon), all coloured in yellow. Also there are a few daft slogans such as "grabs you by the lemons" dotted about the bottle. This is repeated on the cardboard sleeve.
Contents:
As you know, this is based on American lemonade. So you can assume that there is shedloads of sugar involved!
The label doesn't really give any information as far as ingredients and nutrition goes...but you don't often find that on bottles of alcohol anyway.
The kick comes from added vodka to a strength of 5% ABV, so the stuff is on a comparable strength to Smirnoff Ice and other superior brews.
Taste (and smell):
Upon removing the bottle cap (I did it with my teeth....hard man innit!), first thing that hits you is a strong citrusy aroma....To be honest, I couldn't describe it as lemony, but more like the smell you get from a soft drink such as Citrus Spring. Weird, but not bad.
First taste wasn't bad at all, in fact I could describe it as quite pleasant. Being a fan of homemade lemonade, I could instantly sense the similarity. It wasn't overly fizzy, was very sweet, and you could definitely taste the lemon flavouring (who knows if it's real lemon or not?!), although it wasn't overly strong.
Very smooth tasting, and easy to drink. This was not one of those other cheap alcopops (VHF anyone?) that tastes every bit as enjoyable as Windolene.
It's not the nicest of the alcoholic lemon-based drinks by far, but it is by no means the worst of the bunch. It's drinkable, certainly, but there are much better drinks out there.
Cost/availability:
You can buy it at most supermarkets now, as well as almost all off-licences (barring the snobby ones like Thresher's).
Usually around 50p a bottle, or £2 for four (amazing that ain't it?). I managed to get ours from Asda for £1.32 for four! That's 33p each...bargain eh?
I'm almost certain that I have spotted a Cranberry flavour, but I may have been hallucinating or daydreaming at the time...so don't quote me on that!
Contact:
Their UK website is - www.mikeshardlemonade.co.uk
Currently the drink is imported and repackaged in Dorking, Surrey. I will add the exact address when I get home tonight, as I obviously don't have a bottle sat here on my desk (or one hidden in a drawer, before you ask!)
To sum up:
This is a nice, cheap alternative to the likes of Smirnoff Ice, and reminds me a lot of the now defunct Two Dogs lemon brew that was around in the days of Hooch.
Not the sort of thing that I would pick up normally, as I'm a beer fella. But it did meet the approval of the boss, so it must be pretty OK.
My advice when drinking this is to make sure that you either dip the bottle (invert it a few times), or pour in to a glass, as the vodka tends to lurk at the bottom making it a little harder to drink as you reach the last half of the bottle. If you manage to give it a little mix, it makes all the difference!
Mike's Hard Lemonade gets the thumbs up from me, as it means I can get my wife drunk for only a couple of quid ;)Thanks for reading, and happy drinking!
Advantages: Tries hard to be other than an alcopop Disadvantages: The taste - see full op
...just plain ol' lemon ol' Mike's Hard Lemonade, just goes to show how much he loves ya, and telling y'all about what he's eating and drinking.
However, the fact it itself was on offer helped.
The bottle itself is the usual 275ml one, with clear glass, and black and yellow labels, with the design of a lemon silhouette on. Also, each label has a stupid slogan on - "Grab life by the lemons", "Make it Mike's", "Tastes kinda like homemade lemonade with ... ...of the exercise, and drinking Mike's Hard Lemonade started as a pleasure. It slipped down quite smoothly, and quickly, and was most enjoyable. Only for the second half of the bottle was a different sensation evident. This might be down to the vodka, something theediscerning has very little history with. Sure, he's drunk vodka alcopops since they first started coming out, but who could ever guess they actually had vodka in? Other alcopops (the rarer ...
theediscerning 12.03.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mike's Hard Lemonade
I'd never had, or even heard of this stuff till the other night when I went to my friends 18th birthday, but now I am a true convert. I needed to take some booze with me and didn't have much money so I went on the lookout around Asada and came up with this stuff.
It was a real bargain at only £2.35 for a pack of 4 bottles in a little cardboad case. I bought 2 packs, yes, that's 8 bottles for only £4.70. This is good stuff. I only drank this all ... ...a bit ill the next morning.
I haven't seen it around before, but then I haven't been looking for it, so I might have just missed it. The bottle itself is just the size of a normal sized alcopop bottle, that's about 275ml. It comes in a clear glass bottle and looks like cloudy lemondae. I think that's the way it meant to be marketed to people, i'e' like home-made cloudy lemonade, like mama used to make it!
It has a black label on the front with ...
pennywa 24.08.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mike's Hard Lemonade
Advantages: About the lemoniest alcopop around Disadvantages: Doesn't hide the vodka well enough
My first experience of Mike's Hard Lemonade was in the deepest darkest regions of north west Ohio. It's not that mid-west America doesn't have it's own curious charm, but it deserves it's reputation of being Hickville, USA. In a land where beer is not only king but the only inhabitant, it was refreshing to see the immigration of Mike's Hard Lemonade into the bars of the area. As the only alcopop on sale in many of the Ohian bars it soon became my ... ...the back-of-the-throat effect present with Mike's may be due to the cheaper variety of vodka used, but for I still don't like the way they put it together.
Everyone should try this if they think Smirnoff Ice is OK. Mike's may convert you to alcopops for life, just don't say I didn't warn you. ...
cdmurphy 11.11.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mike's Hard Lemonade
Advantages: Inexpensive Disadvantages: Tastes a little bitter
Yes, I have been drinking so excuse the silly title.
I am a fan of alcopops and it is hard to resist them when they are are on special offer. This little 4 pack was £2.79 from Somerfield instead of the usual price of £4. The bottles contain 275ml. It is probably possible to get the drinks even cheaper in other places.
"Mike's Hard Lemonade" is certainly very nice. It tastes like Old Fashioned Lemonade. I think it has a slightly bitter aftertaste, ... ...The alcohol content is about the same as a light wine. 4 bottles are certainly enough to get you tipsy.
If you miss the old bottles of "2 Dogs Lemonade" and "Hooch", I would recommend "Mike's Hard Lemonade". Even at full price, the drink is good value for money. Quite who "Mike" is, is somewhat of a mystery though. ...
Mel27 13.02.2004 (22.07.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Mike's Hard Lemonade
