Asturian Sidra

What is Asturian Sidra? Asturian Sidra is a Protected Designation of Origin cider produced in the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain, traditionally still, unfiltered, and made from native apple varieties. The PDO Sidra de Asturias was officially recognized on 23 December 2005 and covers all municipalities of the region. Asturias is by a wide margin Spain's largest cider region, producing more than 80% of the country's total output. What sets it apart is not only the apples and the wooden-cask fermentation but also the famous escanciado pour, which transforms a quiet, flat cider into a lively, aromatic drink at the moment of service.

Apples, Orchards and Production

The PDO authorizes 76 apple varieties drawn from nearly 500 grown across Asturias. These are sorted into five sensory categories: sweet apples such as Verdialona and Ernestina, bitter-sweet Coloradota, bitter Clara and Regona, semi-acid Carrio, De la Riega and Perico, and acid varieties including Durona de Tresali, Blanquina, Raxao and Xuanina. Cidermakers blend across these categories to balance sugar, tannin and acidity in the finished cider.

The protected production area covers 948 hectares spread over 776 plantations and includes 352 registered producers under the Consejo Regulador. Apples are typically harvested in October and November, then crushed, pressed and fermented in wooden casks, often chestnut, for roughly five to seven months before clarification and bottling. Final product testing for PDO certification is carried out in ENAC-accredited laboratories, and every bottle must carry a Consejo Regulador seal with a unique bottle number that guarantees authenticity.

Styles and the Escanciado Pour

The PDO recognizes three commercial styles: Sidra Natural Tradicional, which is unfiltered and still; Sidra Natural Filtrada, a filtered version of the same; and Sidra Espumosa, a sparkling style. Alcohol typically falls between 4 and 8% ABV, with most sidra natural sitting around 5 to 6%. The traditional cider is dry, gently funky, and built on real apple character rather than residual sugar.

Because sidra natural is not carbonated in the bottle, its signature liveliness is created at the table. The pourer holds the bottle high above the head and lets a thin stream fall into a wide, thin-walled glass held at an angle near the waist. This technique, known as escanciar un culin, aerates the cider on impact and releases its aromatics. The small measure is drunk quickly, while it is still alive in the glass.

Asturian Sidra in this traditional form is quite distinct from industrial sparkling brands such as El Gaitero, which are sweet, heavily carbonated, and closer in character to lambrusco than to a true sidra natural.