When you think of cider probably the first thing that springs to mind is the often sweet Irish cider – think Magners, Bulmers or Kopperberg. Or maybe you associate cider with a small, artisan producer – after all, cider is becoming much more popular around the world and it seems as if artisan cider producers are appearing from anywhere that has a cool enough climate to grow crispy apples.
But in the case of Spain, the cider is not sweet. Nor is it the new trend. So what is Spanish cider?
Northern Spain has a history of producing a simple cider that dates all the way back to the 1st century BC. One of the most important places for producing this cider is Asturias, that little region on the north coast of Spain, next to Galicia.
Here, cider has been a strong part of the culture for many centuries, and since the mid 19th century, a strong part of the Asturian economy. In fact, the average person in Asturias is believed to drink 50 litres of cider per year. So it’s lucky that Asturias is where 80% of the Spanish cider is produced. As a self confessed cider lover, this is clearly a region of Spain that’s after my own heart.
But what makes the cider from Asturias special? What is unique and what traditions surround it?
Luckily I was in Gijón, Asturias during their Fiesta de la Sidra, so I had plenty of opportunities to find out everything that one needs to know about Spanish, or, should I say, Asturian cider.
Taste
The first thing that sets the natural cider from Asturias apart from the more famous Irish cider is the taste. The cider in Asturias is naturally fermented with no added sugar.
Flat cider? No sugar? It sounds a bit strange at first, but the result is great – a non gassy, crisp taste, which goes equally well by itself or with food.
Varieties
There are two varieties of cider – regular ol’ sidra (cider) or the especial.
The regular cider is made with a mix of apples. As well as using the small blushed apples that grow around Asturias, it’s also blended with apples that have been imported from neighbouring Galicia, and also France, Germany and the Czech Republic. The countries have been purposely selected to supply their apples, as they have a similar climate and growing conditions to Asturias. This means the apples grown produce are a similar flavour and can easily be blended with local apples varieties.
The especial, however, is the purebred of the sidra. This is only produced with apples that have been grown in Asturias.
Regardless of what type of cider is in question, around one kilogram of apples is needed to make a standard 700mL bottle.
Season
The apples are harvested in September and October. Following this, the juice is left to ferment for six months, during the cold autumn and winter months.
Come the New Year it’s time for the first espichas to happen. This traditional event is a fun, social affair where family and friends get together to have the first taste of the fermenting cider – straight from the barrels. The cider is accompanied by jamón, bread, and of course, cabrales – the strong flavoured blue cheese from Asturias.
Once the cider has got the seal of approval from the participants in the espichas, it is bottled in late February and March.
Glasses
Asturian cider even has it own particular glasses to be drunk out of. These glasses are large, very thin tumblers. Although easily broken, the glasses are thin for a reason. These delicate glasses “break” the cider which allows it to oxidise, and in turn develop the flavour and aroma accordingly. A thicker glass wouldn’t do this correctly, therefore ruining in the end result of the cider – so says the people of Asturias.
The Asturians were quick to point out to me that the similar cider from the Basque Country is not drunk out of such thin glasses. I sense a little bit of competition here…
Pouring
When visiting a local sidería (cider bar) in Asturias you will see this:
This is the way the the cider must be poured. Pouring it at height like this into a lowered glass aerates the cider. Only one decent sized mouthful is poured at any one time, as the cider tastes its best with the light bubbles it gains from the aeration. It’s important to remember to tip the glass slightly on its side, as the cider must his the glass before it hits the cider already inside the glass to “break” it, as I mentioned before.
Who would have thought that pouring cider is so technical, and no, it’s not as easy as it looks. Roughly 1/3 of any bottle of cider never makes it into the glass – it ends up on the floor.
Drinking
Family and friends gather in the cider bars in Asturias to enjoy their local golden nectar. The drinker must ready to drink it immediately after pouring, otherwise the optimum flavour is lost, and the last bit of the cider in the glass is poured out. Tradition states this is to clean the glass, as only one or two glasses are put down between a group friends and the glass is shared around. The cider poured is all supposed to be drunk in one sip anyway, so multiple glasses are not necessary as a glass is used for a matter of seconds at a time, by any one person.
Spain is known for this sharing culture – whether it’s sharing plates of food or in the case of Asturias, sharing and drinking from the same glass. What’s a glass between friends…
So there you go! You now know all about the cider from Asturias. Have you been to Asturias before? Or did you try Spanish cider somewhere else in Spain? What did you think about it? Tell me all about it in the comments below.
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John says
Great write-up and so glad to see someone sharing this deliciousness with the world! We visited Austrias in June and simply couldn’t get enough cider. Loved the tart and funky flavor and all the tradition/culture of it all. Just reading your post brought me back to Northern Spain and has made my mouth water a little!
Cyra says
Glad you liked in John! I love the flavour too, even in Spain I miss cider as I only ever drink it in Asturias or the Basque Country. You will have to get back to Northern Spain someday!
Cat of Sunshine and Siestas says
My future children will be a quarter Asturian, so they better learn to pour right after they learn to walk!
Cyra says
Haha, they had better. I went to the “World Record Cider Pouring” event during the Fiesta de la Sidra and there were some parents there training their kids up young!
Mike of Mapless Mike says
I tried Asturian cider for the first time a few weeks back. Although, it was at the Asturias tent during San Mateo in Logroño which is not the same as being in Asturias to fully experience it. My plan is to get up there sometime this year while I’m based in Logroño.
Cyra says
If you ask someone from Asturias they will definitely say it’s not the same 😉 The girl who showed us around at a visit at one of the producers said only the “bad stuff” leaves Asturias! You should go anyway – cider or otherwise – Asturias is a great region.
Franca says
We did a food tour in Madrid and in one bar the owner showed us how Spanish pour their cider in the glasses, that requires skills! I don’t think I could do it without making a mess 🙂
Cyra says
Yeah, I have tried and failed miserably. But the thing is, I am sure kids from regions like Asturias grow up learning how to pour cider (seriously! I saw kids probably only 7 or 8 years old pouring out cider for their parents during the Fiesta de la Sidra) so I they a good chance to perfect the skill 🙂