Get Drunk on New Texas Keeper Cider Starting Friday

There's a new hard cidery in town: Texas Keeper Cider has been quietly fermenting since March and now their first brew is ready to hit the market. TKC is a joint project from old friends Lindsey Peebles, Brandon Wilde and Nick Doughty; head cidermaker Doughty is a winemaker by trade who recently worked as cidermaker for Austin EastCiders.

Their focus is producing small-batch ciders using both heirloom and traditional cider apples. Their first creation, Texas Keeper No. 1, will be available in 750mL bottles beginning this Friday at East End Wines and other as-yet-unannounced stores on Monday. No. 1 is an unfiltered, dry cider made from five different apple varieties that are fermented individually and then blended; cider lovers can also expect to see a couple single-variety ciders in the near future, plus a "ciderweizen" in the fall. The cidery itself is located on a ranch in deep South Austin, and Peebles says they plan to open it to the public for tastings and weekend picnics by late fall. For now, follow along their cider-making journey via their Facebook and Instagram.

· Texas Keeper Cider [Facebook]