Sidra

What is Sidra? Sidra is the Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese word for cider, but in a beverage context it almost always refers to the still, dry, wild-fermented apple ciders of northern Spain — above all those of Asturias and the Basque Country. Asturias alone accounts for more than 80% of all Spanish cider production, and its Sidra de Asturias was granted Denominación de Origen status in 2003. Traditional sidra natural is unfiltered, uncarbonated and essentially flat in the bottle, which is why it is famously served using the escanciado long-pour, aerated from height into a wide glass to release a brief, fragrant sparkle. In the Basque Country the same drink is called sagardoa and is poured straight from giant barrels at the call of txotx.

Apples, Region and Production

Asturian sidra is built on a remarkably diverse orchard. The region grows roughly 500 apple varieties in total, of which 76 are recognized under the PDO and 22 are authorized for natural cider under Sidra de Asturias DOP rules. These cider apples are sorted into three flavor groups: sour and acidic varieties like Raxao, Xuanina and Perico provide backbone; sweet apples such as De la Riega, Verdialona and Ernestina supply the fermentable sugars; and bitter, tannic varieties like Regona, Blanquina and Limón Montés contribute body and structure.

Sidra natural is wild-fermented with the apples' native yeasts, with no added cultures, then slowly aged in large barrels for roughly three to five months before being bottled unfiltered and without artificial carbonation. Typical ABV sits between 4 and 8%, with commercial sidra natural usually landing in the 5.5 to 6.5% band, while homemade versions can climb to around 10%. The Asturias DOP recognizes three styles: Sidra Natural, fermented dry and unfiltered; Nueva Expresión, filtered and stabilized for a cleaner profile; and Natural Espumosa, sparkling cider made by tank or bottle re-fermentation. Mass-market sparkling brands like El Gaitero sit apart from the artisanal sidra natural tradition.

How It Is Served

The defining ritual of Asturian sidra is the escanciado, also known as escanciar un culín. The pourer holds the bottle high overhead with the arm fully extended and sends a thin stream of cider down into a wide glass held low against the thigh. The long fall slams the liquid against the inside of the glass and aerates it — a moment Asturians call espalmar — releasing a short-lived sparkle and a burst of aromatics that the flat cider would otherwise keep hidden.

Only a small measure is poured at a time, about two fingers' worth, known as a culín, and it is meant to be drunk in one go before the effervescence dissipates. In the Basque Country, sidra has its own PDO under Euskal Sagardoa, and the ritual shifts venue: drinkers gather in cider houses called sagardotegi, where the cider is poured directly from the kupelas, the large wooden barrels, at the call of txotx.