Cider & Cigarettes

I'm not a big fan of beer. And that's one reason why I love cider! Before coming to England my only inkling of cider was the foil wrapped sparkling non-alcoholic apple kind that my brother and I would chug down every New Years Eve, or a random warm hard cider I might come across at some warped winter college party.

Over here, however, cider is more common than beer it seems. The pubs always have some on draft and convenience stores have a wide flavor selection: pear, apple, blackcurrant, strawberry, toffee apple, as well as a plethora of brands to chose from. I've had too many different ciders that I can write down but in my opinion Magners Original Cider is the best, and is most refreshing served in a large glass of ice.

Strongbow is one of the cheaper ciders that you can get in a large 2 liter bottle for cheap, like £3.29. I've seen quite a few drunkards during the day, staggering against a wall with Strongbow in their hands. I'd take a picture of them, but I'm too scared that they would attack me.

Drinking, as well as smoking, is legal in England at the ripe-old-age of 18.




Cigarettes are actually sometimes called fags here, which I always thought was a myth for some reason. And most people roll their own with tobacco, rolling papers, and these convenient round filters. Hardly anyone I know in the USA roll their own, so the whole operation was really interesting to me at first.

One major difference with tobacco products that I've noticed is the smoking hazard labels. In large bold letters, SMOKING KILLS, or something along those lines, is present. And even more effective are the graphic images of deformed babies, or bloody gums, or mutilated throats, also on each package.

Despite these warnings, however, everyone around me and everyone in the world, for that matter, still smokes. I'm no angel, and I'll have the occasional drag of a fag, but I really think these blatant and in-your-face warnings really do make you think twice of the consequences. We should have these in the USA!









♡-Kristen