So it was with much skepticism and no little trepidation that we decided to head to City Orchard, an "urban cidery" that has just opened in Houston, that we spotted on our way to Target. It's in a newly-renovated warehouse space on an old industrial site, with the railway track running right past it. Next door is Urban Axes where (yes) you can pay to throw axes. What could possibly go wrong?
They've done a wonderful job; the whole place is light and airy, with a beautiful laminated wooden "tree" that rises behind the bar and holds up the ceiling. Outside there's a large area for kids to run around in (and watch trains rumble past) with seating for games and food.
But onto the good stuff! Hannah, unable as ever to decide, ordered a glass of each cider they produced, five in total. Four are regulars with one new/experimental, all clocking in around a healthy 7% alc by vol. Hannah didn't get much work done that afternoon.
I'm happy to say that it was all surprisingly good! Nothing too sweet at all, which is the usual sin of a bad cider, and some very nice floral flavours, especially in their King Blossom. Our waiter told us that they're selling in various supermarkets across the city, so let's hope they're here to stay as we have many visitors that will enjoy a "look what these crazy Americans have done to our apples!" trip here.
As for the Somerset cider industry? Well, nothing to worry about at the moment. If you're not straining out the bits through your teeth as you drink it, is it really cider? And is that cider at all, or actually scrumpy? That's a whole other level of Somerset philosophical question for you...
Pete: half British, half American, all Somerset.
Some kind of metaphor?
This is the last thing that she can remember.
