The International Hall of Gala Ciders closes its sixteenth edition after four days of intense professional and outreach activity, marked by its international scope, the strong public turnout at the Open Tasting and the interest generated by the conferences, debates and specialised tastings. The organisers will shortly publish the final list of ciders awarded at the SISGA Awards 2026.
The 16th International Hall of Gala Ciders, SISGA’26, comes to a close after an edition that confirms the growing international importance of the event and Asturias’ ability to act as a major meeting point for cider producers, professionals and enthusiasts from a wide range of territories.
The Hall’s official website ultimately records 346 products, 124 cider makers and 35 participating countries and territories —following several last-minute additions—, an unprecedented scale in the history of SISGA and one that exceeds the figures announced at the institutional presentation held before the event.
Its international dimension was once again one of the defining features of the Hall, bringing Asturian ciders together with products from Europe, Asia and the Americas and showcasing an extraordinary diversity of styles, apple varieties and production methods.
One of the highlights of this year’s edition was the Open Tasting for the Public on Saturday 26, held at the Congress Centre of the Luis Adaro Exhibition Grounds in Xixón.
The large turnout throughout the morning and afternoon sessions confirmed the growing interest in discovering ciders from other countries and styles that are often difficult to find in Asturias. The format allowed visitors to taste the participating ciders directly, speak with the producers themselves and learn first-hand about the characteristics and production methods of each product.
The Open Tasting was held in two sessions, from 12:00 to 15:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00, and was complemented by a programme of guided tastings featuring ciders from Japan, the Basque Country, Czechia, Italy and France, as well as pairings with Alimentos del Paraísu products such as Chosco de Tineo, Peñamellera curd cheese, wild boar salami, casadielles and Afuega’l Pitu cheese.
But SISGA was not only a showcase for products. Its professional, educational and discussion-based programme once again played a central role.
One of the main meeting points took place at the Asturies Cider Museum in Nava, with the round table International Cider Events, bringing together representatives from Asturies, Madeira, Japan, the Canary Islands, Czechia, Galicia, Chile and the Cider Cities network. The discussion provided an opportunity to share experiences on international promotion, cooperation between territories and ways of strengthening the visibility of cider culture.
Visits to the Cortina, Piñera and El Gaitero cider houses, together with traditional espichas and gatherings in cider bars, also helped bring Asturian cider culture directly to the international participants.
The programme also included the annual Cider Cities Assembly, held at the Xixón Chamber of Commerce, further strengthening SISGA’s links with international networks of cider-producing territories.
Friday 25 was devoted to another of the key elements of the event: the work of the International Jury of the SISGA Awards, including the tasting, deliberation and scoring of the ciders entered in the competition.
The enormous variety of products presented this year required a broad range of categories, covering still and sparkling ciders, perries, ice and fire ciders, liqueurs, cider brandies, vermouths, alcohol-free products and flavoured ciders.
The awards ceremony took place during the Gala Brunch on Sunday 27 at Finca El Duque, Castiello, Xixón, an event combining gastronomy and international ciders that also served as the closing ceremony for this year’s edition. The programme also included recognition of the SISGA Ambassadors and the appointment of new representatives.
The complete and final list of ciders awarded at the SISGA Awards 2026 will be published shortly, once the final review and organisation of the competition results has been completed.
The close of the 16th SISGA nevertheless leaves one clear conclusion: this edition consolidated the Hall’s threefold role. First, as a showcase for Asturies to the world; second, as a professional reference point for producers and specialists; and third, as a major window open to the public, bringing ciders and cider cultures from around the world closer to Xixón.
The combination of international participation, strong public attendance, professional discussion, training, gastronomy and cider culture once again made SISGA a meeting point that is difficult to find elsewhere, with Asturies at the centre of an increasingly broad and connected international cider network.
