Hard ciders, spritzy white wine and the ever constant red wine with meals—the Basques have produced and consumed alcoholic beverages for centuries. In fact, the sagardoa, or Basque cider, that was carried on early ships that sailed from the Basque region is believed to be the reason those Basque fishermen were so successful in their voyages across the Atlantic. Basque sailors were able to avoid the deadly disease of scurvy that ravaged crews of many other countries’ seafaring trips by drinking the traditional sagardoa made of apple juice.
There are several drinks that are part of the Basque Country’s culinary history. During the era of Basque immigration to the U.S., many sheep ranchers provided a jug of red wine every week to their herders, who were used to drinking it with meals daily back home in the Basque Country.
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Here are some of the more well known Basque drinks:
Cider – Sagardoa
Basque style cider or sagardoa is a flat, very dry alcoholic cider. Basque cider is traditionally poured from a height to aerate it. The effect of the liquid hitting the glass creates effervescence. The more acidic Basque cider, with no added sugar or yeast, is considered best enjoyed with food. Son of Man, located in Oregon, is one of the better known U.S. producers of Basque style cider. It is recommended to drink it in small amounts, frequently.
Sagardoa is primarily produced in the town of Astigarraga, near Donostia (San Sebastian). In fact, the apple-growing Astigarraga region, including the adjacent towns of Hernani and Usurbil, have the largest number of ciderhouses per capita in the world. This cider-making region likely expanded because it was close to the important port of Donosti (San Sebastian) in nearby Pasaia, where many ships sailed from.
The apples are collected in September and October and the cider is produced and left to ferment. During txotx season, which starts in January and usually runs to the end of April, people visit the cider houses to drink cider and eat the traditional cider house meal. Most cider houses serve the same menu – cod or bakailio omelet, a second cod dish, steak (txuleta), with Idiazabal cheese (gazta), apple or quince jelly and walnuts (intxaurrak) for dessert. The barrels are opened between courses throughout the meal and customers catch the stream of cider from a distance. Read about more sagardoa traditions from North American Basque Organizations.
Read about the Gurutzeta family, which has been making sagardoa in the region for five generations.
Picon Punch
Picon Punch is a true Basque American drink. While it was originally made with the French liqueur Amer Picon, it was not a drink that was well known in the Basque Country. It became popular in bars patronized by Basques in the Western United States and is considered the unofficial drink of Nevada. It contains picon, grenadine, brandy and club soda, with a twist of lemon. See our recipe for the Picon Punch drink.
Buy these glasses for Picon Punch from Amazon.
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Kalimotxo
This is a cocktail of half red wine and half coke. The story goes that a lot of wine was purchased for a festival and the wine went bad before the festival started. In order to avoid throwing out a lot of wine and wasting money, the wine was mixed with Coca-cola and the poor flavor of the wine was masked. Thus, the kalimotxo was born and today, this drink is popular at Basque festivals everywhere.
Red wine
In Basque, the word for wine is arnoa or ardoa. Red wine accompanies most meals, including breakfast if meat is served, which is not unheard of in the Basque community. Basque breakfast, anyone? The Basque diet includes lots of meat and fish, which may have influenced the drinking of red wine, which is thought to have a beneficial effect on the body when eaten with a meaty meal. Red wine has significantly more contact with grape skins during production, raising its antioxident density, such as polyphenols and the red wine health super star resveratrol. Studies have shown the stomach is better able to digest red meat in the presence of red wine.
Irulegi Wines
If you’re a wine lover, you may already have heard of the wines of Irulegi (Irouléguy in French), named after a small Basque village in the province of Basse-Navarre. This small winemaking region in the Pyrenees Mountains covers some 230 hectares and produces excellent red, rosé and white wines. Vineyard owners in the steep region, which gained its own appellation in 1970, grow their vines on special terraces. Wines have been produced here for 2,000 years, but efforts were renewed in the 1950s. Discover the Cave coopérative d’Irouléguy, the appellation’s historic wine cooperative in Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry.
Rioja Alavesa
La Rioja is a wine-producing region in northern Spain. Part of La Rioja is in the Basque province of Alaba and it is referred to as Rioja Alavesa or in Basque Arabako errioxa. The wines produced here have their own appellation. Many top producers are located in the region including Marqués de Riscal, Remelluri and Remírez de Ganuja. Key towns are Labastida, Elciego and Laguardia. Most wines produced here are red, but there are some whites.
This is the home of Tempranillo wines, made from the dominant Tempranillo red grapes. The name Tempranillo comes from the Spanish word temprano, which means early, because it ripens before most other grapes. When ordering wine in a bar, the Tempranillo wines are more likely to be categorized as Rioja, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, based on how long they have been aged.
Txakoli
Txakolina is white lightly bubbly wine that the Basque region is famous for, although it is mostly made in the Gipuzkoa region. It pairs well with seafood.
Most are made from the native Hondarrabi Zuri (white) grapes. Getariako Txakolina is one of three Txakoli appellations. The examples coming from this region usually have a fruiter flavor. They will also mostly have a mineral, saline note, because of the vicinity to the Cantabrian sea (Bay of Biscay). It is usually poured from a
Izarra
The herbal liqueur Izarra was first created in 1906 by botanist and pharmacist Joseph Grattau in Hendaye, France. He developed it from a formula that dated back to 1835. He moved the distillery to Baiona, in the French Basque Country, before WWII. Today’s label continues to bear Grattau’s signature.
The green liqueur is made from a complex blend of plants and spices, including nutmeg, coriander seeds and leaves, fennel, elderflower, peppermint, green walnut and prunes, among others, and Armagnac. The yellow version has honey in it.
A “Ricard” or “Pernod”
This drink is based on the anise and licorice-flavored French drink known as pastis. It a very common aperitif taken before a meal, mostly on the French side of the Basque Country. Two companies, Pernod and Ricard, competed in sales of the liqueur for years, until they finally merged in 1975. Because of the two companies production of the liqueur, people often refer to the drink as “a Pernod” or “a Ricard.” It is simply made with a shot of pastis, then 5 parts of water and ice.
Patxaran
Patxaran is a traditional strong liqueur that comes from Nafarroa, made by macerating wild sloe berries in anise-flavored alcohol known as “anisette.” The pinkish-purplish berries come from the blackthorn bush or tree, which is native to Europe and grows wild in Nafarroa
Legend has it that the monks of Leire Abbey administered this dark-red beverage to the King of Navarre, who was complaining of violent stomach cramps. Like many liqueurs, it was used medicinally in the past, especially for digestive issues. While it is not well known in the U.S., it is a traditional Basque drink. Because it is considered to help with digestion, it is usually enjoyed after dinner, with or without ice.
Beer
Blonde, dark, white, red, amber… Basque craft beers come in all colors and flavors. In fact, the Basque Country is home to a growing craft beer culture. Basqueland has been brewing craft beers since 2015, including a popular double IPA called Txuleton. It’s hard to say, since there are over 400 of them! Among the better known are Belharra (Bayonne), La Superbe (Biarritz), Etxeko Bob’s Beer (Hasparren), Akerbeltz (Licq-Athérey) and the Hizketa microbrewery (Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle).
We would love to hear your comments about your favorite Basque beverage.
Osasuna – to your health!
