How ‘bout them apples? Local couple brews cider success

MARIETTA, Ga. - What’s in your garage? Cars? Tools? Boxes of old toys? Well, for Mark and Liz Deno, the answer was something a little different: cider.

Mark Deno says he started home brewing hard cider in his garage back nearly a decade ago, after taking a trip to Oregon and learning more about the process of fermenting apples and turning them into a delicious and refreshing drink. And what led to that Oregon "research" trip? Simple: Mark and Liz say they wanted to create an all-natural hard cider because they just couldn’t find any that were easily available here in metro Atlanta.

All that home cider-making eventually led the couple to create Atlanta Hard Cider Co. & Distillery, which operates out of a production facility and taproom in Marietta. And this morning on Good Day Atlanta, we took a behind-the-scenes tour of the distillery, learning more about the process of turning hand-picked fruit into hard cider and what makes Atlanta Hard Cider Co.’s products unique. The taproom, by the way, has become a popular hangout, with indoor and outdoor seating and regular events including trivia, live music, and pop-up food vendors.

Atlanta Hard Cider Co. & Distillery is located at 1010 Roswell Street in Marietta, and taproom hours are 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays through Fridays, noon to 10 p.m. on Saturdays, and 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. For more information on visiting, click here.