HSQLDB is open source database, which can used on the mac for developers. If you want to work with SQL on MacBooks HSQLDB is the one of them.

Download latest from  HSQLDB. Extract the .zip file in folder as shown below: 

/Downloads/hsqldb-2.3.2/hsqldb/

First execute the following command from the folder : /Downloads/hsqldb-2.3.2/hsqldb/

java -cp hsqldb.jar org.hsqldb.server.Server --database.0 file:mydb --dbname.0 xdb

then execute :

java -cp hsqldb.jar org.hsqldb.util.DatabaseManagerSwing

then you are set for using HSQLDB on mac.

if you get exceptions it would be either you have not started server properly to alias name doesn't exists.