Although I've always felt this way, it is nice to be vindicated. That lovely, thick, cloudy apple "cider" that you see in your farmers market or supermarket in the fall is way better for you than the clear, filtered apple juice.

Researchers have found that the cloudy cider has much more antioxidants than clear apple juice. Just as you would think, when the cloudy apple juice is filtered all the good stuff gets stripped right out, along with much of the tart and tangy flavor. Sure the clear juice looks nicer, and has a much longer shelf life, but the health benefits are much less.

The cloudy juice has up to four times the levels of polyphenols, a group of antioxidant plant compounds and in experiments the cloudy juice was the more effective free radical scavenger. The research even looked at juice made from several varieties of apples and found that some have even more health benefits than others. Of course the old adage of an apple a day keeps the doctor away still stands. If you want to most vitamins, antioxidants, polyphenols, etc. then just eat a nice fresh whole apple.

On just a side note. What most of the US calls cider, that nice cloudy fresh squeezed apple juice, is more properly called sweet cider. Cider, also called hard cider, is the alcoholic, fermented juice.

Hot chocolate, eggnog and even gingerbread lattes are all wonderful winter options, but there isn't anything quite like apple cider to warm you up. The smell of apples and spice really is the scent of the season. Cider, Hard and Sweet: History, Traditions, and Making Your Own is a great reference for all things cider-related. It has a detailed history of cider and cider-making, as well as information about the types of apples that make the best cider and exactly how to do it yourself. The author is very enthusiastic about his subject and is an engaging writer, so a casual reader will get a good overview while someone who is really intent on studying the subject will take away a good deal of knowledge. Sweet cider and fermented "hard" cider are covered in depth, but one feature that seems to be unique to this book is the chapter spent on Tasting and Evaluating Cider, which provides some insights into quality that you won't find anywhere else.

At about this time last year, we took a look at a couple of the most fattening cocktails out there. This list, which includes Pina Coladas and Long Island iced teas, still stands, but during the holiday season you're not going to be reaching for a fruity, ice blended concoction if it's snowing outside. Holiday drinks can be hot and steamy or rich and creamy, but it's a good idea to keep tabs on the calorie counts to avoid blowing your efforts to keep your diet under control during the holidays. Here are a couple of calorie counts for some common seasonal drinks:

• Hot spiced cider is usually only lightly sweetened, since apple juice is naturally sweet anyway. A half-cup serving has only about 80 calories.
• Hot buttered rum has about 200 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving, which involves a bit of buttery batter being stirred into a cup with a shot of rum and hot water.
• Eggnog, if you're opting for a tradition version, will have about 450 calories and 22 grams of fat per serving. Fortunately, there are some ways to lighten it up a bit, like using a milk-based recipe, rather than a cream-based one. A part-milk, part-cream recipe should give you a middle ground.
• Hot Cocoa could have up to 300 calories and 8.5 grams of fat per serving, excluding whipped cream or marshmallows, but can also be lightened by using a lower fat milk in the recipe.
• Champagne Punch is bubbly, refreshing and packed with fruity flavors that are more festive than summery. A half-cup serving will run about 105 calories.
• Chai Lattes can really warm you up with spices and are a nice change from sweet ciders and thick nogs. A one-cup serving will probably come out around 110 calories and 3 grams of fat, although this is also a recipe that could use lower fat milk.

There are many more drinks to choose from this season, and not all of them will be high in fat or calories, but keeping these drinks in your mind as treats will help you to keep your intake under control and to enjoy them more during the holidays.

Peels is a brand of alcoholic mixed drinks that, unlike most others in their category, are made with real fruit juice. Like so many mixed drinks, they are aimed a women, but their flavors - Blueberry Pomegranate, Cranberry Peach and Strawberry Passion Fruit - should appeal to anyone who likes fruity flavors. For this holiday season, the company has released a new flavor, Spiced Apple. The drink is made with 100% natural ingredients and tastes similar to a classic spiced cider, with the crisp taste of apples and the warming scent of cinnamon. It can even be heated up, although the rest of the Peels drinks are generally meant to be served cold. It contains 5% alcohol by volume and the company says that it is "perfect for a girls' night-in, a seasonal party or just enjoying in front of the fire."

If you are fortunate enough to have access to an apple tree (or several), you probably have had the pleasure of having fresh, homemade apple cider. Cider, in this case, is not the alcoholic beverage, but a minimally processed apple juice made by pressing as much juice as possible from the whole fruit. Often, cider apples are used to make commercial ciders, but if you want to try making cider at home, you will probably have good results with most types of apples, using a mixture of whatever fresh ones are available. A farmer's market is the best place to get apples if you can't get access to an orchard.

Once you have the apples and they are scrubbed clean, they are pulverized and the juice is strained out. For big batches, a cider mill and press is the easiest tool to have, but if you are willing to put a bit more muscle into yours, the food processor and a jelly bag (a very fine cheesecloth bag) can be used. Apples should be quartered and pureed, then the juice can be extracted by carefully pressing it out through the bag with pressure from a rolling pin.

I don't know if you have noticed over the past few years, but a lot of vineyards, distilleries, and breweries have been releasing organic and ecologically friendly booze. I happen to be a fan of organic and locally grown crops, as well as sustainable agriculture. It's important to me to know where my food comes from and how it is made. I'm not obsessive about it, but it is a big consideration in what I purchase. Almost as big as my wallet, which isn't always as large as I would like.

You are now going to see a lot more organic alcoholic beverages available. Restaurants, bars, and liquor stores will be pushing them out to follow in the organic wave that is changing what we grow, buy, and eat. Right now there are only a few wines and spirits that are certified organic, but this is more a matter of paperwork and the certification process. Worldwide, many producers use mainly organic ingredients but haven't applied for the USDA certification due to legal issues, the difficulty in finding 100% fully organic ingredients, and cost. Expect this to change rapidly as producers discover that soon the public will buy all the organic wine, beer, and spirits they can produce. I have already tried a few organic products and eagerly look forward to trying and reviewing more such as the tasty Juniper Green Gin, Highland Harvest Organic Grain Whiskey made in the UK, the mostly organic Bluecoat Gin made in PA, as well as many of the organic rums, whiskeys, beer, and cider available today.

Fruits and veggies, shellfish and such are best eaten in season. When it comes to bragging rights over who grows the best grapes, is privy to the best fishing banks, you will certainly have a food fight on your hands. In this case, I'm talking about peaches. Georgia, the peach state, grows a good peach. Alabama, too. But I'd like to turn you on to peaches grown in western Colorado, and the several varieties that have peaked or are at peak right now. Specifically, peaches grown around the rural town of Palisade, CO., are among the sweetest, if not the sweetest I've ever tasted (in particular the O'Henry and the Rising Star). Western and Southwestern Colorado also produce some of the finest cider and applesauce apples in the world.

As to peaches. Check out this recipe for Peach Delight that won grand prize at the Palisade Peach Festival a couple of weeks ago. I tried a variation that did not include the egg replacement (since it's not cooked, don't mess around with raw eggs these days: salmonella) and it was divine.

Apple cider vinegar is a by-product of fermented apple (hard) cider, once one of the most popular and widely available alcoholic drinks in the US. Vinegar was used for preserving foods and was common in most households, where its sweet/tart flavor found a variety of other uses in sauces and dressings. Cooks Illustrated noticed that most people tend to reach for the store brand of cider vinegar - which does not get the same amount of shelf space as trendier balsamic vinegar does - and conducted a taste test in this month's issue to see if the brand made a difference.

The vinegars were tasted plain, in barbecue sauce, in pan sauce and in a vinaigrette. Tasters tended to prefer the vinegars with a sweeter, almost honeyed taste. The top two brands were Maille Apple Cider Vinegar and Spectrum Naturals Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (unfiltered), but even very common and inexpensive brands like White House and Heinz were found to be acceptable. So while there is a difference between brands, it probably won't make or break your dish.

And as a general tip, apple ciders with little apple bits still floating in them (unfiltered vinegars) tend to be a bit sweeter, with a bit more of an apple flavor than ones that are completely clear.

A new listing at Waitrose I believe - Somerset Pomona is a rather special apple based spirit made in .. wait I am sure you can guess.

Cider maker Julian Temperly brought two stills in France (Josephine and Fifi) and, taking skills from the Normandy Calvados makers and Scottish whisky producers, produces this blend of apple cider brandy and vintage apple juice. The apples are grown in the company's own orchards and blended with vintage cider. After two years maturing in small oak barrels the Pomona is bottled. It is excellent with a good cheddar.

Price at Waitrose is £7.99 for 50cl bottle but you can also order online direct (along with many other apple based brandies and drinks).

Justifiably, the Canadians are praised for their ice wines. Now they have created a new drink category, ice cider!

Yep, the staple drink of English yokels and hardy Frenchmen in Normandy has been given a Quebeckian (is that the right word?) makeover. Just as ice wine is made from frozen grapes, the ice cider utilizes apples hung late into the autumn. After the frozen fruit is picked, its concentrated juice is separated from the crystallized water around it. This is fermented producing a syrupy, ultra-rich, amber-coloured drink with around 12 per cent alcohol. It is recommended on its own as a dessert drink or as a partner for sautéed foie gras or blue cheese and toasted walnuts. I would really love to try the Neige Rabbit.

Now all we have to do is get the EU to let someone import it; after the protracted negotiations over the importation of ice wine it could be sometime!