062: Anzu Fernández, MD | La Sidra, Asturias

Anzu Fernández has been selected as Cider Chat's pick for the Sexiest Cider Dude of 2017!

picture credit: La Sidra Anzu Fernández doing a classic long pour

This title is not given freely nor is it due to the fact that Asturias happens to have some of the biggest cider cojones around. I mean geez Louise! Roman historian Estraban said sometime back in 60 BC about Asturias "They scarcely have wine, but they drink a lot of cider." I'm thinking that this American might think twice about bragging next time about the big whoop fact that President John Adams drank cider 200 years ago.

Anzu is the International Delegate for Asturian XXI Foundation, speaks 15 languages, works for La Sidra, and is a medical doctor who is beginning his residency working towards perhaps neurosurgery. His resume is impressive, but what really inspired this podcaster is his Cider Bold. He is both knowledgeable and has a keen ability to speak with grace and conviction on cider not only in Asturias but in the rest of the world and yes that is not only intriguing it is exactly what cider needs right now in 2017!

Dr. Fernández

His unabashed view that the cider industry should without a doubt support their country's cider journalist and yes a podcast like Cider Chat which helps to promote cider around the globe, is expect in Asturias and as such a no-brainer for other cider producers around the world.

Yes Anzu isn't afraid to speak up and provide the cider community with a healthy boot in the ass. Plus, the fact that Asturians know how to party like no other people I have ever met in the world absolutely seals the deal for his new title!

In this chat we discuss Asturias' cider culture and how to drink Sidra

Anzu's Tasting notes for Sidra in Asturias

• Expect Bitterness
• A blend of bittersweet and sweet apples
• 6 apples in each bottle

Interesting facts on cider production in Asturias

• There are 2500 "Asturian only"varieties of cider apples
• 200 of the apples are endemic to only Asturia
• Every brand of Natural Sidra, has at the minimum 6 varieties of apples in the blend
• There are many different associations in Asturias. Also different standards for the Cider Bars (Siderias)
• Basque cider is consider more acidic than Asturian cider
• Asturias produces 100,000,000 liters of Sidra per year
• This region also produces 50,000,000 liters of sparkling Sidra
• There are Cider pourer competitions
• The average consumption of cider in Asturias is 45 liters per year
• In Gijon the population consumes 65 liters/per person/per year for every single person in the city – that is only for Natural Sidra, this does not include, liquors or sparkling Sidra

How to drink Sidra

• Begin with a long pour or the "Colene", where the cider is poured from at least a meter from bottle to glass, to release the carbonic gases.
• The glass is held on a slight angle to catch the pour.
• About an 1/8 of a cup is poured into each glass
• It should be frothy and drunk right away. One does not sniff and swill the cider.

Instead, Sidra is gulped back, except for a small amount which you leave in the glass to be poured out to the ground on the side of the glass where you just drank and then passed back to the pourer who will then serve another person out of the same glass.

The Annual International Hall of Gala Ciders takes place September, usually at the end of the month in Xixón, Asturias.

Contact info for Anzu Fernández

• email: infoasturiancider@gmail.com
• Address: Decano Prendes Pando 11
• 33208 (Xixon Asturias
• Telephone: +(34) 652 594 983
• Websites for Las Sidra
• LA SIDRA in English:
  https://www.lasidra.net/en/home/