SISGA 2026’s honorary Premium award recognised Faustino Mateo Vázquez, known as Tino Panizales, and an approach to cider that treats tradition as a starting point for discovery.
LA SIDRA.— Some awards highlight a product; others celebrate a career. The honour presented to Tino Panizales at the latest International Hall of Gala Ciders belongs to the latter group, recognising the time, knowledge and experimentation he has devoted to expanding cider’s possibilities.
The maker behind Llagar Panizales combines inherited knowledge with curiosity. Testing, adjusting and trying again are part of a practice in which apples can become very different drinks.
From ice cider to Caldea and Viesk
Tino was a pioneer of ice cider in Asturies, a speciality demanding precision and a different approach to the fruit’s sugars, acidity and aromas. His work helps explain a path of innovation that now has a new context following ice cider’s inclusion in the Sidra de Asturias PDO.
His creations also include Caldea, his fire cider, and Viesk, an aperitif exploring another direction for cider-based drinks. Both reflect a desire to discover new combinations and processes using a familiar raw material.
Sharing what he has learned
Education accompanies production. Visits and guided tastings at Panizales offer an opportunity to explore the cider mill and hear directly from its maker. That contact helps explain the work behind each bottle.
Involved in one way or another since SISGA’s early years, Tino has received recognition for his products in several editions. In 2026, the tribute focused on the person and his contribution to cider culture as a whole.
The award was part of a SISGA edition distinguished by its international reach. Among producers from many different places, the recognition of Tino was a reminder that the sector’s future is also built through the persistence of people who keep investigating.
The profile on page 51 of LA SIDRA’s October issue captures that approach: a cider maker who has made tradition a space for new possibilities.
