Page 10 - Beverage MasterAprMay 2021

Craft Cider

HOUSTON CIDER COMPANY:

Putting Cider on the Map in Texas

By: Nan McCreary
D eep in the heart of Texas, far from the miles “because I heard I have to try your cider.”

apple orchards of upstate New York or
the Pacific Northwest, a Houston urban
Houston can consume,” Macalello told Beverage
cidery is introducing locals to one of the “We aren’t even scratching the surface of what
joys of that age-old beverage that many consider Master Magazine.
the drink of the future: hard cider.
Macalello’s cider is increasingly popular due to
Houston Cider Company, founded as a brew- the demand for gluten-free drinks and low-alcohol
ery in 2015 by two young scientists, geologist beverages. “Cider is strongly associated with beer
Steve Macalello and chemist Justin Engle, offered — they’re packaged similarly, as opposed to wine
Houstonians their first locally produced cider in — and people are looking for a beer alternative.
2017. Today, the cidery, located in the trendy And the fact that our cidery is made locally really
Houston Heights neighborhood, is the only just-ci- appeals to people.”
der facility in the city and a hot spot for regulars
who live in the area, as well as those who travel Macalello and Engle began their operation as

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