The oldest reference to apples in the Basque Country dates back to the 1st century in the writings of the Greek geographer Strabo. Later, in the year 1024, another mention appears regarding Basque apple trees. From then on, numerous documents refer to the region’s apple orchards, cider houses and presses. In addition to texts written by the local population, there are also testimonies from pilgrims who, upon crossing the Basque Country, recorded what they observed. Many of them highlighted the importance of cider in everyday life. One of the best-known accounts is from the 12th century, written by the pilgrim Aymeric Picaud. Particularly noteworthy is the protection that the regional charters (fueros) granted to apple orchards and cider. As early as the 11th century, the Gipuzkoan Charter prohibited the introduction of foreign cider until the local production had been consumed. For centuries, these charters defended the apple tree, the orchards, and the cider trade.

We owe much of our culture to cider. In addition to being an everyday drink for Basques, it was also the main drink of the Basque sailors who ventured to hunt whales and fish for cod in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. The sailors’ contracts explicitly specified the daily ration: between two and three liters of cider per crew member. This contribution was essential for long sea voyages, as cider protected Basque sailors from the dreaded scurvy. The so-called golden age experienced by Euskal Herria in the 16th century—a highly industrial and commercial society admired throughout Europe—would not have been possible without cider. Farmhouse-presses (caseríos-lagares) emerged to meet the great demand for this drink; authentic “Gothic machines” dedicated to cider making. Although cider production in the Basque Country is millennia old, the 15th and 16th centuries were the most splendid, with a notable increase in production to supply a society ever more fond of cider. 

The decline of cider began with the drop in the Basque Country’s maritime and industrial activity and with the succession of armed conflicts that affected the region. The Civil War also dealt a heavy blow to apple cultivation and cider production. However, once the conflict ended, the sector resumed production and cider lovers returned to their customary consumption. It was later that cider definitively emerged from that crisis. Gipuzkoa then stood out as the province that maintained the greatest production and consumption, leading the recovery and renewed interest in this emblematic product. The history of cider houses is closely linked to the word “tolare,” which in Basque means press—an essential element in the traditional cider-making process. At the end of the 20th century, Basque cider cellars began to open their doors to the public so that customers could taste and choose the ciders they would later purchase bottled. 

To facilitate this tasting, a small hole was made in the kupelas (barrels), which was plugged with a wooden peg known in Basque as “txotx”. The tasting season began in January and ended in April, before bottling, coinciding with the arrival of the first warmth of spring. Thus was born the txotx rite, a tradition that remains very much alive today: cider lovers go to cider houses to taste ciders directly from the kupelas and enjoy the traditional cider-house menu. Today, the txotx season begins in January and runs until mid-May, although more and more cider houses keep their doors open throughout the year. The term “Tolare sagardotegiak,” which means cider house-press, identifies the producers of natural cider in Gipuzkoa. At the entrance of these establishments you can see the badge certifying that they are natural cider producers—guardians of a tradition that is an essential part of Basque culture. Cider production has historically been one of the great economic engines of the Basque Country. 

Today, there are around a hundred cider houses that, in addition to making and marketing cider, offer the possibility of enjoying lunch or dinner on their own premises: a unique experience that lets you live the authentic txotx ritual. But Basque cider houses today are much more than places of production and tasting. Many of them open their doors to the public and organize guided tours, commented tastings, conferences, congresses, cultural activities and special events, thus bringing cider culture closer to all audiences. The sector is experiencing a moment of diversification, innovation and continuous improvement, betting on increasingly varied and higher-quality products. Traditional natural ciders are now joined by sparkling natural ciders, ice ciders and new creations that reflect the sector’s dynamism and creativity. All of this is possible thanks to producers’ commitment to designing, planting and caring for new apple orchards—an essential investment to face future challenges and guarantee the sustainability of this ancient tradition.