Zapiain must have something special to be so blessed. The Astigarraga cider house conquered Gipuzkoa and the Basque Country long ago. And its latest milestone has come in the United States, where it emerged victorious from a competition held in Michigan. Specifically, Zapiain has been named international cider house of 2024. Zapiain also scored highly with all four products it entered, which translated into four gold medals.

The Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition is a pioneering competition for fermented apple and pear drinks, and has been held in the USA since 2012. In the 2024 edition, which took place on 16 and 17 May, nearly 1,200 products were entered and assessed by international judges over two days.