Yesterday, the CIFP of Hospitality and Tourism in Xixón hosted an in-depth workshop dedicated to ice ciders (with the addition of some fire cider), serving as a prelude to today’s opening of the International Hall of Gala Ciders (SISGA).
Organized by the School of Sommeliers, the event offered a chance to explore in detail the processes of elaboration and tasting of these increasingly prominent ciders, both nationally and internationally.
The session began at five in the afternoon with contributions from Alfonso Castañón and Pedro Ramas, oenologists at Llagar Castañón. In addition to introducing their cider house to the attendees —including several international guests arriving for SISGA— they explained their methods for producing ice cider, sparking a lively technical debate with fellow cider makers.
Next came the turn of Juan Luis García, professor at the CIFP, who emphasized the essential role of hospitality professionals in promoting products like ice cider, not only by including them on menus but also by actively offering them to customers. García guided participants through a comparative tasting focused on the contrasts between sweet and acidic notes, later sharing and discussing several ice ciders. The tasting began with Bonagua from Sidra Castañón, a high-quality limited-edition product new to the cider house. Other ciders sampled included those from Riestra, the Club Sierense de Amigos de la Manzana, Iscider, Nohoval, and the fire cider Kuartango.
The final part of the workshop, held at seven in the evening, was led by professor Benedicta Zurro, who introduced cocktail-making techniques using ice cider and invited attendees to try various creations prepared with this base. The session highlighted the versatility and potential of the product, leaving the audience pleasantly surprised.
The day concluded with a visit to Llagar JR at nine o’clock, where participants got a firsthand look at the production process and enjoyed a guided tasting. The visit put the finishing touch on a busy afternoon that served as the perfect warm-up for SISGA, which officially opens this morning at eleven with the inauguration led by Marcos Abel Fernández, president of the Asturies XXI Foundation, and the inaugural tasting of Stonewell Cider by Eamon Dacey. This marks the start of four intense days of cider-focused activities.
