| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Tharg drinker of cider |
Posted - 23/02/2005 : 12:33:14
Rather nice article here on Spanish Cider:
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/February04/CiderHouseBlues.htm
And you will know us by the trail of empties.... |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Ivanhoe Martin |
Posted - 14/04/2005 : 09:24:34
We went to one place where they had pouring things (bits of tubing in U shapes, and various clips and clamps for the bottle and glass. Looking a bit Heath Robinson. Is that what you mean?), and had no luck at all with them (plus, it was less fun than trying it by hand). We did go to one place with a great "cheat": they had little plastic things that they put in the top of the bottle that made a nice thin stream and made the whole process much easier.
Mind you, they only showed us these E-Z-sidra devices once we'd already made right plonkers of ourselves and kept the bar floor nice and damp with our first bottle, and were ordering another |
| Gents |
Posted - 13/04/2005 : 19:31:50
Sounds like a fine weekend of sidra and sausage. I have only spent a day in Madrid before and would love to go back for longer. I found a few siderias that were really packed and lively, with quite a young crowd, right amongst the trendier bars - shame you don't get similar places in England. Had no luck with pouring either, did you see those pouring devices that they have on the walls? I had enough trouble using them even.
The Spanish are definitely more in touch with where thier meat comes from then us, seeing pictures of a pig being killed can't shock them too much when they've grown up with bull-fighting, its almost like a celebration. Probably not the best thing to have in a restaurant if they want to attract English tourists, but I doubt thats such an important thing in Madrid as it is in the Spanish holiday resorts.
ZIDER |
| Tharg drinker of cider |
Posted - 12/04/2005 : 11:27:43
I still remember the time I decided to make my own bacon. I bought a pig at Smithfield, and then brought it home during the morning rush-hour on the tube – after one stop, I had the carriage to myself!
And you will know us by the trail of empties.... |
| Ivanhoe Martin |
Posted - 12/04/2005 : 09:46:15
We loved it, but neither of us had ever been in a restaurant before where they proudly displayed pictures of the chef killing a pig. It certainly wasn't London any more, Toto.
The other great food difference we saw was the tradition of having a glass display case of your meat/fish/etc on view to passers by to show them what you've got and how fresh it is. I can't imagine anywhere in England proudly hanging a couple of gutted piglets i nthe window as a means to attract custom (and I mean piglets. They were about as long as my forearm at the maximum.) |
| Tharg drinker of cider |
Posted - 11/04/2005 : 16:22:26
I swear we don't have vegetarians in the Forest of Dean. It would seem the Spanish are still very much in touch with their native food producers, as opposed to our city dwellers, who seem to think that food magically appears in Tesco, or is delivered from Waitrose. Do you remember the looks of astonishment on people’s faces when they wandered into Surrey Docks Farm and found us pressing? We should kill a few of the animals next time – make it a bit more real!
And you will know us by the trail of empties.... |
| Ivanhoe Martin |
Posted - 11/04/2005 : 14:51:57
As much as anything (the impression we got was that) it's to do with Asturian cuisine (and drinks) being something that is perceived as quality and the sort of thing that people brand as a speciality. We saw quite a few specialist Asturian restaurants, and they often were next to (or incorporated) a cider bar.
We ate in one magnificent place with a bar in the front and a dining room in the back, covered with photos of the owner and his place in Asturia (orchards, fields of veggies, etc). In the corner of the room where we were sat, there was a montage of half a dozen or so photos showing all the stages in killing a pig and turning it into sausages. In each one, the owner was grinning at the camera (as he stuck the knife in/cut up the carcas/was up to his elbows in minced pork/etc). It was quite a contrast to the kind of pic's you'd find in a UK restaurant, and all the better for it.
And the food was delicious. |
| Tharg drinker of cider |
Posted - 11/04/2005 : 13:35:13
I'm very happy to stand corrected on this one, I'd expressed doubts to Ivanhoe regarding how common sidra may be in Madrid, given its distance from traditional sidra producing areas - of course I was judging Spain by our own shoddy standards, and the unfortunate fact that our own capital city has only a handful of real cider outlets.
And you will know us by the trail of empties.... |
| Ivanhoe Martin |
Posted - 11/04/2005 : 10:48:52
Just back from a great few days in Madrid. Found the place packed with Sidrerias (well, "packed" might be an exaggeration, but we did manage to wander past a different sidreria every day without even trying).
Had plenty of both still and sparkling sidra. Still was much nicer, to my tastes, but both were way preferable to what we get in most pubs here.
Tried lots of times to do the pouring thing that they do (pour the sidra from above your head into the glass, which you hold at about waist height). Had no success at all, but found it was a great ice-breaker (or at least that's my story as to why all the Spaniards generally started laughing when I tried to do it).
Next stop, Easyjet to Asturias. |
| Gents |
Posted - 25/02/2005 : 12:35:36
quote:
Originally posted by Smithy
quote:
Originally posted by Gents
- you can con a friend into taking car and driving you around the cider region (i suspect its a bit tricky getting around if not)
I think you may have some trouble trying to get a friend to do that as well......you can count me out for a start!
-Go on! It's not like you'll be drinking cider anyway!
ZIDER! |
| Smithy |
Posted - 25/02/2005 : 12:24:46
quote:
Originally posted by Gents
- you can con a friend into taking car and driving you around the cider region (i suspect its a bit tricky getting around if not)
I think you may have some trouble trying to get a friend to do that as well......you can count me out for a start!
 
Hannah More Zider......
In the Dogging Tent |
| Gents |
Posted - 25/02/2005 : 12:11:44
quote:
Originally posted by Ivanhoe Martin
Oh, and joking aside, you might want to check out cheap flights to Bilbao for handy access to the region
Easyjet started doing cheap flights from Bristol last year but they've stopped now! Looks like you can only get budget flights from Stanstead now.
I do quite like the idea of the Plymouth-Santander ferry for a number of reasons:
- you can stop at Newton Abbot on the way to Plymouth
- you can drink your own cider on ferries.
- you can con a friend into taking car and driving you around the cider region (i suspect its a bit tricky getting around if not)
- ferries only run every 2 weeks, so you'll have to spend a minimum of 2 weeks in cider-heaven.
- stanstead if hard to get to, and there is marginally more cider in Plymouth than Essex.
- I hate flying.
I would really like to do this one day, its all about money and time tho.
Yes, Ive been feeling a bit ill this week, but ive been trying out the new medicine - Thatcher's Single Variety Lemsip - and im feeling better now.
ZIDER! |
| Ivanhoe Martin |
Posted - 25/02/2005 : 10:50:15
Oh, and joking aside, you might want to check out cheap flights to Bilbao for handy access to the region |
| Ivanhoe Martin |
Posted - 25/02/2005 : 10:43:40
<<Ah ha, I wondered if anyone would pick up on that controversial statement! I should of course said "England's cider capital -Somerset" instead >>
That's not so much "fighting talk" as (so nonsensical that the only possible explanation is that you've been drinking) "White Lightning talk"
Quick! Someone get round to Gents' with some scrumpy. This delirious banter could be a symptom of something very sinister.   |
| Gents |
Posted - 24/02/2005 : 09:31:26
quote:
Originally posted by Ivanhoe Martin
<<Spain's cider region sounds quite like England's cider region -Somerset>> What about the Three Counties?
Ah ha, I wondered if anyone would pick up on that controversial statement! I should of course said "England's cider capital -Somerset" instead
I think rather than attempting to start the tradition in Nailsea (where most of the pubs don't even sell cider anymore), it would be a better and easier option all round to move to Asturias and join them for their afternoon cider-drinking and 7 Euro 4-course meals in the sun. I have considered this before, and went as far as ringing the ferry company to find out how much the Plymouth-Santander ferry cost (it was £84 at the time) on a particularly miserable day in Plymouth, sadly the next one wasn't for 2 weeks and by that time i had admitted to myself that it probably wasn't the most sensible option.
ZIDER! |
| Ivanhoe Martin |
Posted - 23/02/2005 : 19:24:22
<<Spain's cider region sounds quite like England's cider region -Somerset>> What about the Three Counties?
<< - to me: we both make cider, all the neighbouring villages hate each other, and people from the capital laugh at our accents. >> That sounds just like Hereford to me.
<<Ive also read that on Wednesday afternoons in Asturias the men stop working and drink cider in the main Square of the village or town for the rest of the day! Sadly this doesn't happen in Somerset.>> This definitely happens on Weds afternoons in Hereford. It's market day, so what else is there to do after you've sold the cows?
If you want to start this venerable tradition off in Nailsea, then I'd be happy to come and add my thirsty throat to your efforts.
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