euskalkultura.eus

The new cider house “Eneko Sagardotegia,” in Necochea will provide the same menu as Basque cider houses on special occasions and Basque club festivities; while the cider, 'made in Necochea',  is being conserved in three barrels and will also be bottled.  Along with the news of the inauguration organizers, the Necochea's Betikoak Gastronomic Society, also announced that there is a possibly of a new “txotx” at the beginning of October. 

Necochea, Argentina.  On August 21 the doors of the “Eneko Sagardotegia” were opened to the public. The cider house, the first one of its kind in Argentina, was born at the heart of the Euzko Etxea Basque club in Necochea and it will function on occasions and special festivities.  As members of the Betikoak Gastronomic Society explained, “We worked for months on this ambitious project, the creation of a cider house.  We also purchased three barrels for the production of cider and also to enjoy the famous “txotx.”  "We also built a press and machinery to crush apples.  We started making cider in May and we got about 160 liters that have been fermenting for about three months.”

In regards to the inauguration, there was a large audience that "had great praise for what we had achieved.”  The members of Betikoak served the same menu that is served in cider houses in the Basque Country including txorizo in cider, cod tortilla, grilled steaks and cheese, membrillo and nuts for dessert.  During the inauguration, considering an existing proposal, the executive committee of the Euzko Etxea decided to acknowledge the cider house “Oialume” from Hernani and the Barrentxea family, Koro and Axintxio, “invaluable friends of the club who gave us encouragement and advice.”

“The idea for the cider house came about in 2011 during Semana Vasca in Necochea.  During the program there was a cider house night and there we were with twenty some bottles of cider from Oialume, with the typical menu and with all the excitement of celebrating as if we were in thye Basque Country.  Today, four years later, the seed bore fruit and it has the name and cider made at home,” Horacio Zubillaga, Osvaldo Martínez Lecumberri, Esteban Dabadie, José Luis Iribarne and Néstor Galmán, cider makers and members of Betikoak explained.

The Eneko Sagardotegia also announced the possibility of opening some barrels and organizing a new txotx in the beginning of October so that they can bottle the remaining cider and serve it in January as part of the San Sebastian celebration, a big one in Necochea.