You settle in at Altzueta Sagardotegia and they bring you an appetiser. Not the traditional chorizo, no: they surprise you with a shot of zurrukutuna. It is a recipe that is part of the history of our cooking and far from common in bars and restaurants; I came across it at home through my father. It is a kind of garlic soup with salt cod, pure power on the palate, intense flavour, and here it becomes a different and special way to begin the txotx experience (cider straight from the cask) at this Hernani cider house. It all came about because they tried zurrukutuna at Barkaiztegi and decided to put their own spin on that idea, that recipe, and give it visibility and a boost: a nod to our roots, to our culture, and an example of the character and personality that every corner of this cider house exudes.