So, I've read in quite a few places, all of them reputable sites, that moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages, such as wine or beer, can be beneficial.

Basically, the order is, 1 4oz glass of red wine, or 1 12oz glass of beer, can be good for you in a variety of ways, specifically related to cancer and heart health, especially reduction in the risk of heart disease. Light beer is good because is has fewer calories, dark beer is better because it has more good stuff, red wine is the best because it contains all the good stuff of dark beer with few calories. 3 drinks on one occassion, OR 1 drink per day, is the recommended intake.

Here's the catch. Red wine that my wife and I actually enjoy (Louis Jadot Beujolais 2007 is our favorite by far) is pretty expensive to drink on a regular basis. My wife has a great dislike of beer (she doesn't hate it, just doesn't enjoy it). I'm pretty sure that Mikes and such is just alcoholic kool-aid.

But what about something like homemade hard cider? Does anyone have any information on the health benefits of hard cider, either store bought or home made? Google is being pretty unhelpful right now.

My guess is homemade hard cider would be excellent. Fermented products are excellent for health and if you make the homeade stuff, it would be unpasteurized. May I suggest you and the Mrs go to some city with some great mircrobrewies or high end pubs with a large beer selection. There might be some your wife will like. As for Mikes products, it is alcoholic kool aid, so are most wine coolers. (What state do you live in?).

My wife and I live in Bend Oregon, USA. We have more microbreweries than we know what to do with. The list of beers my wife has sampled, and not approved of, is long, and includes everything from ice cold bottles of Bud Light, to a McMenamins Terminator Stout fresh from the tap at the ideal temperature.

Anyone found any research to suggest what the benefits are?