Lizeaga wins the 51st Azpeitia Cider Competition in a tie-break

Lizeaga won the 51st Azpeitia Cider Competition on 25 July, although it needed a second round to do so. After tasting the 23 competing ciders one by one, the jury found two tied on 131 points, Lizeaga’s and Aburuza’s, and tasted them again to break the tie. The txapela (the Basque beret awarded to winners) went to the San Sebastián cider house; Aburuza finished second and Alorrenea third.

The previous edition had been won by Oiharte, which was entering the competition for the first time that year.

A cider maker under every arch

The competition is part of Saint James’s Day, which Azpeitia celebrates as Baserritarren Eguna, the day of the baserritarra (the Basque farmer), and which serves as the prelude to the San Ignacio fiestas, with the opening rocket on 30 July. The programme placed it at midday in the square. As is customary, each of the 23 cider makers took one of the arches of the arcades, while the members of the jury tasted from the bandstand. Among them was Maite Agirre, who spoke as a judge in the video that Azpeitia Guka recorded that day.

While they waited for the verdict, the public made their way along the arcades tasting the ciders from every house. According to Noticias de Gipuzkoa’s preview, 3,000 bottles were to be made available to those attending. The programme also included the sale of roast veal pintxos at the Grupo de Misiones stall, for charity: a nursery school in the Republic of the Congo and a renewable energy project for a village in the Kilimanjaro area. At the time of the competition, the bertsolaris (improvising verse singers) Aitor Mendiluze, Iker Zubeldia and Libe Goenaga were billed to perform on the bandstand.

Cheese from Álava and a full day

The cider shared the limelight with the 25th Cheese Competition, in which, according to El Diario Vasco, 32 cheesemakers took part. The winner was the Zabaleta cheese dairy, from Munain (Álava), with 338 points; second place also went to Álava, to La Leze, from Ilarduia (336), and third to Loperena, from Egozkue (Navarre), with 319.

The day had begun in the morning with the finals of the 40th César Valverde pelota championship, a tribute to the flag of Navarre and a livestock show from the area. In the afternoon there was a recortadores (bull-dodging) championship, the circus show Mute on Done Jakue street and a parade by the Jainekin brass band to close the day.

Sources

• Noticias de Gipuzkoa, Aitor Zabala: “La fiesta toma las calles de Azpeitia en el día del Baserritarra”, 25 July 2025. Report: 23 cider houses, tie-break between Lizeaga and Aburuza, podium and results of the cheese competition.
• El Diario Vasco, Eli Aizpuru: “Lizeaga nagusi Santio Eguneko 51. Sagardo Txapelketan”, 25 July 2025. Read in the Sagardoetxea press archive. In Basque: tie on 131 points and second tasting, one cider maker per arch and the jury on the bandstand, 32 cheesemakers and cheese scores, afternoon events.
• Noticias de Gipuzkoa, Aitor Zabala: “Recortadores, sidra, queso y mucho más en Azpeitia en el Día del Baserritarra”, 23 July 2025. Preview: Oiharte’s win in the previous edition, 3,000 bottles, charity stall and the opening rocket on 30 July.
• Azpeitia Guka, Gorka Eizagirre: “Santio eguneko giroa, irudiak eta adierazpenak, bideoan”, 25 July 2025. Lizeaga, from San Sebastián, the winner; Maite Agirre, member of the jury.
• Azpeitia Guka: “Santio Eguna”, listing for 25 July 2025. Programme for the day: times, bertsolaris on the bandstand and the 40th César Valverde championship.