- The event was held last Wednesday at the Alorrenea de Astigarraga, by decision of the Sidra Territory. Saizar de Usurbil has held his txotx start party in the Atano III pediment of Usurbil.
The 2025 cider season will have its first weekend. The opening events have been held this week. The first one took place at the Alorrenea Shilling in Astigarraga on Wednesday, organized by Sagardoaren lurraldea, while the second and last big party took place on Thursday, as usual, in Saizar.
Our Circus opened the txotx season in Alorrenea. Iker Galartza, Joseba Usabiaga and Lur Aranburu were in charge of launching the first txotx, dressed in circus costumes, on the stage. Galartza spoke in front of the microphones and said that the works of Valles Zirkuitua and the Sidreria are not so different: "For people to have fun, we have to work, and you too, even if it's not the best day, always have to keep a smile."
In Saizar, for his part, the Spanish cyclist Perico Delgado was honoured, among others, the former football players of the Royal Male Society Imanol Agirretxe, Asier Illarramendi, Markel Bergara, the cooks Hilario and Eusebio Arbelaitz, the cyclist Haimar Zubeldia and El Sebastián. Also known faces of the Spanish State.
Andoni Egaña sang the verse that followed the txotx:
To see
how
we copy
your career in Saizar after eating and drinking we talk Make a
stranger
and
meet Kupel to take advantage of all the
opportunities of the
eyes.
After dinner, on the stage, Julian Iantzi was in charge of presenting the work, and the first to warm the atmosphere were Josune Arakistain Süne and Olatz Salvador, and then Manu Tenorio, before paying tribute to Delgado. Then Andoni Egaña sang a segidilla, among other things, with a message to Delgado, Iantzi and the popular Arconada, and Korrontzi took charge of ending the festival.
Production drops by 60%
This year there has been less than half of cider production than last year, mainly due to the fall in harvest. This was confirmed last week by the Euskal Sagardoa Designation of Origin and Napo Lertxundi of Saizar also confirmed it at the opening of the txotx, although he stressed that this year has better quality.
In total, two million kilos of apple have been collected in 250 apples, which has allowed the production of 1,300,000 liters of cider in 46 quarries: one in Álava, three in Bizkaia and 42 quarries in Gipuzkoa. "But it will be enough," the designation of origin said.