Sidra Peñón

Sidra Peñón was founded in 1910 in Albandi, in the municipality of Carreño, by Francisco González Prendes. The company is still in the same family’s hands: his grandson Miguel González Álvarez gave it a major boost in the second half of the 20th century and in 1990 became the first “Lagarero de Oro” of Gijón’s Fiesta de la Sidra Natural. Today it is run by his children, who are already preparing the fifth generation.

The llagar (cider mill) has a production capacity of around 1.5 million litres. The apples are sorted and blended in fixed proportions of sharp, semi-sharp, sweet, bittersweet and bitter varieties, then crushed and pressed in eleven stainless steel presses. After the vigorous (“tumultuous”) fermentation in refrigerated tanks, the cider is moved to chestnut barrels in a semi-underground building, where it undergoes a slow fermentation before bottling.

It makes a traditional green-label natural cider, a natural cider under the Sidra de Asturias Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) made with twenty-two PDO-approved varieties, and a limited annual edition of “sobre madre” cider (aged on its lees). It sells its packs through an online shop with home delivery.

Sources: Official website – History, Official website – Products, Official website – Production and facilities, Official website – Shop, Official website – Terms of sale, DOP Sidra de Asturias (certified producers – Sidra Peñón), DOP Sidra de Asturias (directory of certified llagares).