Maeloc

Maeloc is the cider brand of Custom Drinks, a company in the Hijos de Rivera group (Estrella Galicia) whose production plant is on the Os Acibros industrial estate in Chantada (Lugo). The name recalls Maeloc, the 6th-century bishop of Britonia, the settlement founded by Bretons in the north of Galicia.

All the apples are Galician and come from a network of more than a thousand small and medium-sized growers; in the 2024 harvest the plant took in more than 1,500 tonnes, over 90% of them organically grown, of varieties such as Raxao, Rabiosa, Durona, Pero, Príncipe, Verdeña and Ollo Mouro. The cider is made from fresh juice, not concentrate, and with no added sugar. Custom Drinks is registered with the Galician organic farming regulatory council (CRAEGA), and the brand gives its name to a research programme on native cider apple varieties carried out in partnership with public bodies.

The range includes organic natural cider, organic sparkling cider, organic sweet cider, dry cider, an alcohol-free version, fruit ciders (pear, strawberry, blackberry and pineapple) and organic cider vinegar, in bottles and cans. It is an industrial plant: the website offers neither visits nor direct sales at the factory, and refers buyers to the group’s online shop.

Sources: Official website, Official website – Contact, CRAEGA, Galicia Calidade, Campo Galego, Ciderlands.