Basque Cider Houses: What to Expect at a Sagardotegi Experience

 

Txotx, the first cider pouring of the year. It marks the beginning of the cider season in Gipuzkoa Photo by Mikel Alonso.

If you're visiting the Basque Country between January and April, there's one experience you absolutely cannot miss stepping into a sagardotegi for the cider house season.

The cider-house season, or sagardotegi season, in the province of Gipuzkoa usually begins in mid‑January and starts with a loud “Txotx!”, the call the cider maker uses to invite everyone to taste the cider from each kupela (barrel).

Txotx is a Basque word meaning “small stick”, referring to the wooden peg used to seal the barrel once the tasting is over. Over time, however, the word has come to refer to the very first cider pouring of the season, an event that each year is traditionally led by a well‑known public figure.

Want to experience a traditional Basque cider house? [Book your table here]

This year, 2026, for example, the Basque Pelota National Team has been one of the groups chosen to take part in the opening of the season.

The Basque Pelota National Team opens the Txotx season. Photo by Sagardoaren Lurraldea

The cider ritual naturally revolves around a hearty meal, which usually includes cod omelette, fried cod with green peppers, grilled steak, and for dessert, cheese with quince paste and walnuts.

Cider houses are generally divided into two types: those where you can sit down to eat, and the more traditional ones where people eat standing up and share dishes from the same plate. So there’s something for everyone, whether you prefer the most traditional experience or a more comfortable one.

Sagardotegi menu. Photo by Petritegi Sagardotegia on Facebook.

In Gipuzkoa’s cider houses, or sagardotegiak, it is common for the dining areas to be located right next to the cellar where the kupelas (barrels) are kept, so each guest simply walks over and serves themselves directly from the barrel. However, some of the kupelas—the ones containing the best cider—remain sealed with a small wooden stick, and it is the cider‑house owner who opens them with the traditional shout of “Txotx!”.

At that moment, it is almost mandatory to stand up and bring your glass close to the jet of cider shooting out under pressure, releasing its characteristic aromas depending on the apples used to make it.

Gipuzkoan cider is made from different varieties of acidic and bitter apples

Experts say that cider should be drunk in one quick sip, on the spot, and in very small amounts. It’s the perfect moment to chat with friends in the cellar while waiting for the next dish to arrive, or to keep sampling the cider from the open kupelas.

It is also customary in the sagardotegiak to pay only for the glass, which is already included in the set menu, meaning you can drink as much cider as you can handle for the same price.

The cider‑house tradition has its origins in the tastings once held between cider makers and wholesalers, restaurants, and gastronomic societies who visited the cider houses (sagardotegiak in Basque) to choose the cider (sagardoa) they would buy for the year. It was common for buyers to bring a steak to accompany the cider, while the cider maker offered a cod omelette. Tastings were always done standing up—experts say aromas are better appreciated that way, and also because if you overdo it, you notice sooner.**

Over time, friends and relatives began joining these tastings, and what started as a professional visit gradually turned into an important social event.

The season ends around April or May, depending on the year, and from then on the remaining cider in the kupelas is bottled so it can continue to be enjoyed throughout the rest of the year.

Ready for the full txotx experience? [Book your visit to a traditional Basque cider house here] and taste the Basque Country like a local.