The Cider House RULES!

Yes, the title of this post is a play on words from the American movie many knew and loved, The Cider House Rules. However, I'm here to tell you about a little something VASGO called a sidreria.  My recent adventures in Spain opened me up to the concept of a sidreria and its operation.

Let's begin by exploring what it is.  A sidreria is a hard cider manufacturing facility that in the old days was really only that, but nowadays, caters more to their public appeal and serves food like a restaurant would.  You might consider it your local microbrewery/restaurant down the street, except you get to pour the cider yourself!

Now if anyone is unsure of what cider is, I will make this easy.  Think apples.  Lots of apples.

Hard ciders in the U.S. are a bit different than the ones out here in Basque, Spain.  Ok, quite a bit different.  In the States, you'll find ciders that are sweeter than sugar.  And as a person who prefers dry beverages, those ones back home have always been tough to take down.  In Spain, though, my recent experience tells me the range goes from dry, all the way to mostly dry with a hint of sweetness.  Not a big range.

Maybe it's because the apples they use are not sweet ones.  Perhaps they have access to only a single variety of apple?  From my brewing experience, I learned that if I wanted to make dry cider similar to that of Strongbow brand, I had to buy a particular juice from special apples.  Ones that weren't sweet.  And definitely NOT from concentrate.

The same goes for wine-making from what I understand.  I also welcome you to correct me if I am wrong.  The grapes you buy from the grocery store to eat are most certainly not the types of grapes you would make wine with.  Unless you wanted sugar wine.  The better grapes for wine are quite tiny and they are hardly ever sweet.

Back to the sidreria.

Let me give you a quick idea of how it unfolded for me.

I walked into a building almost half the length of a football field, or a soccer pitch depending on your preference, and noticed two walls filled with massive barrels.  My thoughts instantly went into VASGO-mode.  What's in these barrels?  Is it something delicious?

I walked over to a friend who knows more about the details of our dinner.  Excuse me, but what is this?

Una sidreria.  Cidre in italiano.  You know, hard cider.


Talk about the best surprise a VASGO could ever get.  I just stepped foot into a sidreria without knowing it.  And I was so glad I brought my camera.

Here's how you experience a sidreria.

#1. Grab a glass.
#2. Walk over to a barrel in the wall.
#3. Observe how people fill their glasses.
#4. Fill up your glass. Important note, you MUST start down low and move the glass up the stream towards the barrel.
#5. Drink the golden nectar.
#6. Repeat #4 and #5 until you have tried every different barrel to determine which variety you like best.

My favorite was barrel number 3.  It was dry, had the faintest hint of sweetness and was quite tart.  Delicious.

Then you combine it with the rest of the meal and you end up with a wonderful dining experience.

Delicious salad to start.

Traditional fish omelette as first plate.

This...

 ... goes on this... 

 ... and becomes this.

And then dessert! Manchego Cheese and a fruit paste/jelly, possibly of quince.

To all headed to Basque, Spain, do NOT pass up the opportunity of going to a sidreria!