Sidra
Spanish dry cider from the Atlantic north. Asturian and Basque traditions both pour it from height to aerate the still, sharp, faintly funky drink.
Sidra is the dry traditional cider of northern Spain. The two main regions are Asturias (where it's the unofficial regional drink) and the Basque Country (where the cider houses called sagardotegis run from January to April). The Asturian and Basque versions share the same logic: dry, still or barely sparkling, sharp from natural acidity, faintly funky from wild yeast fermentation. The pour is the ritual: the bartender or cider-house host holds the bottle high above their head and lets the cider fall a metre into a glass held below at waist height, the long aeration releasing the natural carbonation. You drink the few centimetres in the glass straight down before it loses the fizz, then signal for another pour. Different from the sweet English or French ciders most international drinkers expect.
How it's served
Two pour traditions. Asturian sidra escanciada: bottle held high overhead, cider falls a metre into a glass at waist height, drunk in 2-3 sips immediately. Basque txotx: the cider-house host opens a barrel and you catch the stream in your glass directly from the spout. Both involve aeration to release the still cider's natural CO2.
Regional variation
Asturian sidra natural is the most traditional and the most widely known; the DOP Sidra de Asturias certifies it. Basque sagardoa is similar in style but with subtle differences in apple varieties and a more pronounced sagardotegi cider-house culture. A small sweet still cider tradition exists too but is rare. The mass-market sparkling sidra sold for New Year's Eve toasts (sidra achampanada) is a different category entirely.
- Origin
- Asturias and the Basque Country (northern Spain)
- Etymology
- From the Latin sicera, in turn from the Greek sikera and Hebrew shekhar (an old word for fermented drink).
- Also called
- sagardoa
Frequently asked
What is Spanish sidra?
Dry traditional cider from northern Spain, made from local apple varieties and fermented with wild yeast. Still or barely sparkling, sharp, faintly funky. The two main regions are Asturias (where it's the unofficial regional drink) and the Basque Country (with the seasonal sagardotegi cider houses).
Why is sidra poured from so high up?
Aeration. The cider is naturally still or only lightly carbonated, so the long pour from a metre overhead breaks the surface tension and releases the dissolved CO2, giving the drink temporary fizz and a brighter flavour. You drink the glass in 2-3 sips before the fizz dies. Most Asturian sidrerías have a metal trough under the bar to catch the splash.
What food goes with sidra?
Asturian and Basque sidra pair naturally with the food of their regions: chorizo a la sidra (chorizo cooked in cider), Asturian cabrales blue cheese, fabada bean stew, txuleton aged beef in the Basque cider houses, fried fish. The sharpness cuts through fatty foods; the aromatic apple notes work surprisingly well with cured meats.