A Taste of Tradition—Cider of Asturias

If you haven’t noticed, the cider market is booming. And last fall I was asked to cover a tasting event sponsored by Sidra de Asturias at Tertulia in Manhattan. Sidra de Asturias is a Protected by Designation of Origin (PDO) product of Spain and the Asturias region, or Green Spain, is located along the northern coast. The region has been producing cider since the 11th century and supplies 80% of the national production.

For centuries, servers called escanciadores have been pouring Asturias cider in a way that aerates the beverage and enhances the flavor and aroma. Only a shot is poured high over the server’s head and is to be consumed in a single gulp. For more info on Ciders of Spain and the beautiful Asturias region check out these links:
http://www.cidersofspain.com
http://www.sidradeasturias.es

It was a really fun event and towards the end the pros let the attendee’s give pouring a shot, needless to say the floors were a bit sticky by the end of the night, but coupled with the fantastic cider and the amazing tapas cranking out of the kitchen by Chef Mullen’s team at a dizzying rate, no one seemed to mind.

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