Forget grim British cider, and go to Spain for some ‘sidra’

I always thought drinking cider was a bit lame. But then I did a Camino pilgrimage that took me through Spain’s northern Asturias region. I now think cider is cool. 

Cider is a phenomenon in Asturias, where the art of imbibing sidra, as it is called, is elevated to a ceremonial form. We have the Trooping the Colour; they have sidra pouring. 

When the barman pours the sidra bottle from above his head, the glass down at knee level, while looking dead ahead with the subsequent mini waterfall hitting the glass through dead reckoning: that’s not lame. The pourer even tilts the glass away from him, dramatically shrinking the ‘aperture’ available at the top of the glass.

The theatrical pouring method, as well as being an obvious crowd pleaser, oxidises the sidra (I’ve been made to cough by the resulting sweet effervescence).  

Bar staff only pour about two centimetres worth of sidra into your glass, which you down straight away – like drinking shots – to get the full impact of the oxidisation effect.