The Astarbe Family have been cider producers for so long (since 1563) they have their own cultivars of apple, Astarbe and Mendiola, from which this cider is made, along with a few other cultivars (including Moko, Txalaka, and Goikoetxe). Hur Astarbe represents the 15th (!) generation of cider makers in the family.

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The sidrería (called a sagardotegia in Basque) is located in Astigarraga, just 10 minutes from downtown Donostia/San Sebastián in the hills above the coastal city.

Once the apples are harvested (usually in late September) they are put into a grinding machine, called a matxaka, and left to macerate in tank. The cider then goes through both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and is aged another two months in barrel before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

This is a naturally carbonated cider, and, depending on bottle variation, the carbonation can be very low. One of the techniques the Basque use to improve this (and also stir up the sediment that collects in each unfiltered bottle) is to pour each drink from as far above the glass as you can manage without spilling some/most of it. This makes for rather fun scenes at the sidrerías, where along the bar you'll see folks pouring and drinking, pouring and drinking, cider splashing all over the place.

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Delicious with blue cheeses, salt cod, and all types of Basque pintxos.