Txotx Basque Imports

February is here, spring is (hopefully) just around the corner. And with the inevitable turning of the season, so too does it usher in the return of our annual event: CIDERwise!

Among the many offerings that can be found at this event are a few very special, very different ciders of a style – up until somewhat recently – had never been seen in this part of the world: Basque cider. If you’ve never had these, set aside your conceptions of what cider can be, and be prepared for an entirely different experience.

Txotx (pronounced “CHO-ch”) Basque Imports is a labour of love. At last year’s event, I approached their table with some curiosity – I’d never heard of Basque cider and, at the time, had no idea how to pronounce “Txotx”. There, I met Shawn Pisio and Kelly Chomat, two of Txotx’s co-founders. These are people who are as passionate about the product as they come. I asked for a sample of a bottle labelled “Isastegi”.

I tried a sip, and was astounded. Dry, a prominent wild funk, and missing the cloying sweetness that you’d find in most any other cider. Delicious. I wondered how surprised I must have looked, and how often that reaction must happen.  “It’s really interesting, and it depends if we’ve had a chance to talk to the person before they try their sample (which we always try to do)” remarked Shawn and Kelly.  “If a person has spent all afternoon drinking sweet ciders, and then quickly downs a glass of Isastegi with no preface, it gets some pretty funny reactions.”

They also made an excellent point: it really does depend on the type of event. “Reactions can definitely be mixed, especially at a cider only event, where most people are used to or expecting the sweeter local and UK varieties. At beer events,we actually find the reactions to less mixed, as I think beers drinkers are more familiar with the flavour profiles, and surprised to find them from a cider.” This rings true, in that consumers are considerably more exposed to funky, under carbonated and generally more diverse beers now than ever before.

It also begs the question: what would traditional Basque cider producers think of ciders produced here, in North America?

“This fall we had the opportunity to have the cider makers from Bereziartua come to Vancouver. While they were here we toured them around the local breweries, and to the Alibi Room to sample a variety of local beers and ciders. It was fun to see their reaction to the craft beer, as that is a market that is just starting in the Basque country. On the whole, their reaction to the sweeter north american ciders was positive, and the have a greater understanding of what makes their product so unique here.”

There is a rich history of tradition and reverence surrounding true Basque cider, and it’s not hard to see – or taste – why that is. In many of the same ways craft beer aficionados prize proper balance, wild fermentation and complex flavour profiles, so to can this be applied to cider. Consider the diverse range of hops used in our craft beers – and apply that diversity to apples. Exploring traditional ciders is in of itself an entirely new range of experiences and surprises; so many of which we are only getting to try now due to the hard work Txotx has invested in bringing them to our market.

What was their introduction – the cider that inspired them to pursue a dream of bringing them home to us here? Like all pioneers in the industry, the moment of epiphany can be traced back to a single moment, often with warm recollection:

“It was Mendiola from the Astarbe cider house. Four years ago we went to visit our friend, and now partner Michael, who was living in San Sebastian. On the second night there he took us to the Astarbe cider house for a traditional basque dinner and our first glasses of sidra. “

It’s near impossible to learn about Basque cider and the Txotx ritual without falling in love with the spirit behind it: click here for a short video and you’ll see what I mean.

Having these products imported to BC is an important addition to our craft ecosystem. There is a real need for diversity on our shelves – the US dollar has impacted the availability of many products north of the border. Distributors are less inclined to bring products across, and retailers are wary of allocating shelf space to products they suspect consumers will find cost-prohibitive. That said, Txotx’s imports are showing up on shelves all over the place, and in doing so have given consumers new and exciting options. I couldn’t help but ask what they were exploring going forward.

“We’ve become passionate about cider, and have started to work with cider houses outside of the Basque country that have the same traditional methods and attitude. We will be bringing in more of the product line from Shacksbury in Vermont, and a new cidery out of Washington. We’ll also be travelling to the Basque country in March, during cider season, with an eye out for new and interesting ciders. “