I don't like hard cider. And I suspect many men don't either. I love beer and wine and cocktails and the occasional shot, but hard cider makes no sense to someone like me: I would never drink apple juice or virgin cider, so why would I go for the alcoholic version? Then my brother, who throws himself into hobbies with the same gusto usually reserved by ancient Incans for virgins and volcanoes, got into it. Dana has become a self-taught expert on Stax records, urban gardening, and HTML, so when he developed a taste for the sweetest drink this side of a Shirley Temple, I gave in, understanding that I would be forced to learn about it whether I wanted to or not. Dana walked me through six ciders from across the U.S. in an attempt to change my mind about my least favorite booze.

2 Towns Ciderhouse, The Bad Apple

Corvallis, OR

DANA PEELE: A very, very nice cider. Very apple-y with vanilla and honey notes, but not too concentrated or sweet and the flavor is very balanced and pleasantly semi-dry. Perfectly carbonated and so smooth it's hard to believe it's 10.5-percent alcohol.

ANNA PEELE: I was kind of dreading this assignment, but this is actually better than I thought it would be — like a slightly cloying, extra-effervescent, low-alcohol prosecco. I can't imagine consuming a whole bottle of this, although I guess I should try to wrap my head around it since we will be drinking five more ciders, which I think is the equivalent to a barrel. You're better at math than me, is that right?

DP: I'm glad that we've cracked your closed-mindedness so early in this process. Prosecco is a fair comparison, because many ciders more closely resemble wine than beer. They run the gamut from completely dry to syrupy sweet and flat to over-carbonated with this bottle falling on drier side and right in the middle in terms of carbonation. And yes, I am much better at math than you.

Atlas, Hard Apple Cider

Bend, OR

DP: I think you're really going to like this one. Light, subtle, crisp, refreshing. This is another wonderfully semi-dry cider with a smooth and clean finish and light carbonation. This is a cider you could drink all day long and never get tired of it.

AP: Anecdotal evidence collected during a survey I conducted of myself indicates that your hypothesis is incorrect. This cider tastes like apple juice with a teaspoon of vodka in it. Your five-year-old would drink this out of his sippy cup and be like, "Dad, this cider is really sweet and needs more booze in it. You told me you were a cider connoisseur but I guess you were lying. I assume this also means there is no Santa."

DP: Ouch, you lulled me into a false sense of security after we tried The Bad Apple. This cider does have a refreshing flavor that tastes like a good apple juice. But what exactly were you expecting? Wine tastes like grape juice, too, because that's what it is. It's a skill to hide the alcohol from your cynical palate. Here's some math: mix 19 oz of apple juice with two shots of voddy and see how that goes down. Not as smooth as this imbibe, I assure you. Santa would be lucky to have a bottle of this waiting next to his cookies when he slides down the chimney.

AP: Wine is to grape juice as pickles are to cucumbers. Atlas is to apple juice as not-toasted-enough toast is to bread. Next!

J. K.'s Scrumpy Orchard, Gate Gold

Flushing, MI

DP: This cider bursts in your mouth and is very sweet with a sour finish. This is a bold and bright cider for those with a sweet tooth and has notes of citrus, honey, and spice.

AP: I feel like I was pretty hard on Atlas, so I want to start with the positives for this one: I like the label on this bottle and saying "Scrumpy." Also, it has no preservatives, so it's like what the pioneers whose wives wouldn't let them make the bathtub into a distillery drank! But again, this cider is too sweet for me. Is there a way to temper it, like pairing it with potato chips? Are there any key words I should look for on a bottle that would warn me away from the treaclier ciders?

DP: I wholeheartedly agree that this cider is sumptuously rich and sweet, almost over-the-top, but for those in the sweet-lovers camp this is a home run. And the organic approach is a big plus in my book. I would drink this cider with a sharp cheddar grilled-cheese sandwich or some roasted sweet potato. I also love the name, which originates from the local ciders made in England. Ciders with very little residual sugar are called "dry," just like wine.

ÆppelTreow, Appely Doux

Burlington, WI

DP: This is a really excellent cider, really more of a sparkling apple wine. It's beautiful in the glass with a glorious head and has a fantastic taste. The apple flavor comes through but is balanced between sweet and tart with floral notes. I would drink this in place of a demi-sec champagne and pair it with fresh fruit or a sweeter cheese like chevre, gouda, or asiago. And at $12 a bottle you just can't go wrong.

AP: I kind of like this one! It's super-bubbly and tastes less like something you'd drink out a juice box than the other ones. I also admire the cider for its dramatic use of "Æ." Here's my big question: Is cider really something I could bring to a party in lieu of wine or beer? I feel like it wouldn't necessarily go with every food and that most of the people I know would make fun of me, like when I brought that 50 Shades of Grey-branded wine to a dinner party.

DP: So if we're keeping score on the keys to your heart, hard cider is winning 2-1, correct? This is certainly a wonderful example of a cider that could be used instead of sparkling wine at a party. You might get a curious look from your host when you present the bottle, but once the cork is popped the guests will be carrying you around the room on a chair and demanding more. And at such a reasonable price you can afford to bring several bottles for the cost of a comparably delicious wine.

AP: Cider is tied with good taste 2-2. I have to admit I really love the idea of spending less money on a host gift and being carried around the room, although I'm concerned my drunk friends are going to drop me or spill cider on my rug while they laud me.

DP: You're right, 2-2. My vaunted math skills let me down. Perhaps I've had a bit too much cider. But you bring up another excellent point about cider, which is that while you can get strong ciders with alcohol content in the double digits, most ciders come in between 5-7 percent, so your friends can drink more and still be clearheaded as they parade you triumphantly through the house.

West County Cider, Ginger Gold

Colrain, MA

DP: Tart with a strong note of honey and lighter notes of pear and green apple. Definitely more of a sparkling wine-type cider. It's dry and clean and becomes more complex as it breathes, with floral and citrus notes showing up.

AP: This one is kind of sour and sharp, like the cider version of a Warhead. It tastes more like green apples than red — how do you know which ones they used? It's pretty good, although I wish it had more bubbles. Why are some of these bubblier than other ones?

DP: Yes, the flavor of this cider is particularly delicious. It's hard to determine the varieties of apples used in some ciders, but in this case the answer is pretty obvious: Ginger Gold. That's a green/yellow apple with a tart flavor and as you've discerned, the flavor of the cider follows closely to the flavor of the apple in many ciders. The carbonation is very light and in this cider comes only from the fermentation. In many other ciders, carbonation is achieved by adding carbon dioxide. But the most carbonated cider we tried, the Appely Doux, is highly carbonated because of a double fermentation, a la champagne.

AP: I forgot to tell you that if you're being compensated by the cider industry in any way, you are ethically required to let me know.

DP: Unfortunately, I'm just an un-sponsored fanboy at the moment. Did I mention that cider is naturally gluten-free?

AP: How are we related?

BlackBird Cider Works, Kentucky Barrel Aged Hard Cider

Barker, NY

DP: This is a very original and interesting cider. It's about as far away as you can get from the sweet mass-produced ciders you find in the grocery store. It's effervescent and zippy, and the bourbon barrel aging imparts a completely distinct taste: The strongest notes are caramel, bourbon, and oak. This cider would go well with BBQ or smoked meat and is great for a bourbon drinker looking for a drink with a little less punch or anyone looking for something different.

AP: The last cider! I like your diplomatic way of saying you don't really like this one: It's "different" and "original." Because I am more of a man than you, I don't mind the bourbon flavor, but the lack of carbonation kind of bummed me out. It's less "zippy" than "flat."

DP: It's true, this wasn't my favorite cider, mostly because I found the bourbon flavor imparted from the barrel a bit overpowering. But there are certainly cider drinkers out there who would enjoy this so I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand, especially for manly men like you. We'll have to disagree on the carbonation, which I found appealing. Not all ciders are super-bubbly and too many bubbles can get in the way of the enjoyment. I hope I've helped you overcome your cider-phobia. As En Vogue said, "Free your mind, and the rest will follow."

AP: It's certainly been enlightening, although I wouldn't say that I'm a convert. As Marvin Gaye said, "I guess I'm just a stubborn kind of fellow." Thank you for imparting your cider wisdom unto me.