Arri London > wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:24:46 -0600, Arri London wrote:
>>
>> And then there is 'scrumpy', which is homemade (alcoholic) cider.
>> Powerful, often opaque and doesn't taste of apples at all LOL. And then
>> there is the fictional 'scumble', which is even more powerful and made
>> of apples. Mostly apples ;P
>>
> Scrumpy is a dialect word from the West Country in the UK; Somerset
> (which is cider country), Avon etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrumpy
> sums it up reasonably well.

Arri. You've taken me back to the late 1950's. I was a corporal in the
Territorial Army, R.E.M.E division. Our Yorkshire division spent it's
annual camp at Tavistock, in Devon. One Saturday we were allowed a
trip into Plymouth. Four of us tackled the local pubs.

We'd heard of the strength of scrumpy, the local delicacy and being
youthfully cocky, asked for four pints. A local, seeing the uniforms
and noting the foreign dialect warned us to drink only halves. Three
of us agreed but one of our bolshy pals ignored the old sage. The
booze was drawn from the barrel and although cloudy, went down a
treat. In less that an hour four had been sunk. We exited.

On hitting the outside air the four pint fella went totally berserk.
He swung round the nearest lamppost shouting and singing. Just as
quickly he slid to the concrete and went out like a light.

He had to be trucked back to the barracks. I've never drunk scrumpy
from that day to this.
--
Don