ISidra
In Asturias, drinking cider is an important social ritual. It is, without exaggeration, the glue that holds together Asturian culture. Woe then to the pregnant, the diabetic, the professional driver on their lunch break, the tee-total, the under-18s. They find themselves shut out of this important social event. Relegated to the sidelines. At least until now. There is now available a variety called iSidra; a non-alcoholic cider available that is as good and as authentic as the alcoholic kind.
History of an Idea
Twelve years ago, the folks at El Piloñu had an idea. A non-alcoholic version of their famous sidra natural. Unfortunately, it was an idea before its time, and fell flat. The market had no interest in such things. The idea of alternating alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones and other such health advice was impossible to find. People were not yet ready.
Monchu Viña, manager at El Piloñu, and originator of the iSdira project, did not give up. He knew that there was a place for a non-alcoholic cider in the market, even if the first attempt did not convince the buyer.
The non-alcoholic iSidra is made by the same process as non-alcoholic beer. First, cider is macerated and fermented as normal. Then it is essentially baked in open topped vessels at relatively low temperatures (180℃) until the alcohol has evaporated. The main complaint about beer made this way is that the hops become a single bitter note instead of a complex part of the flavor profile. Since sidra natural contains no hops, this is not a problem. And, since sidra natural is a still (uncarbonated) product, it is not necessary to prime and re-pitch yeast before bottling.
The isidra Taste Test
I am actually writing this article precisely because iSidra passed the taste test without me even knowing I was testing it. While celebrating the spring equinox, we went through several bottles of cider at my house. I ventured into the darkened kitchen to get another bottle, opened it and poured several rounds before we realized we were drinking the iSidra I had bought for the children.
I had previously bought a bottle of iSidra for the purpose of allowing my children to taste what cider was without giving them a glass, however small, of 6% booze. My oldest loves it. Partially because she is desperate to be older. Partially because she also likes sour pickles, chow chow, and the brine from olive tins. The youngest; not so much.
However, what we were drinking was not a pale imitation of cider. It was cider. I would probably not be able to identify which was the non-alcoholic one if you were to hand me a culín of cider from El Piloñu’s sidra natural, and one of their iSidra. The color, the smell, the espalme, all are what one would expect from a traditional sidra natural.
Coming to America
There are plans to introduce iSidra Zero (a slightly carbonated version in both bottles and cans) to the United States. So far only a few market tests have taken place, but the results look good, and should result in wider export soon.