Basque Pintxos and Cider at Sweet Basil
Basque Pintxos and Cider at Sweet Basil
Inspiration strikes at the most unique of times. For wine director of Sweet Basil, Jeremy Gramling, traveling gives him the opportunity to expand beyond the walls of Vail, Colorado.
A frequent, favorite travel region for Jeremy is the Basque Country, especially the vibrant city of San Sebastian / Donostia. San Sebastian boasts the most Michelin stars per-captia than any other city, making it a destination for food and beverage connoisseurs.
Enter the pintxo bar (pronounced “pincho”). The pintxos, a Basque spin on tapas, paired with a dry apple cider make up a popular dining experience ripe with cultural and historical significance.
Historical Importance
Cider, an often-sweet beverage in the United States, presents dry and slightly carbonated when traditionally poured at a sarardotegi (cider house). In northern Spain, in an autonomous community, the Basques have been brewing cider since pre-Roman times.
Basques, starting in the 16th century, were a commanding presence in the open waters and whaling industry. While European ships often lost many sailors to scurvy (Vitamin C deficiency), the Basque sailors did not. The secret? The barrels of cider consumed during voyages contained vitamin dense, fermented apples that the Basque sailors consumed versus the European beer or wine.
Thus, the cider house became a destination in past times as well as current.
Present Day Cider
Cider houses seen today in Basque Country are a social event with many gathering to share food, community and of course, cider. Cider is bottled for distribution during txox (pronounced “choach”) season which runs from January to late April. When dining at a cider house, guests wait for the call of Txox and take a glass to large barrel where an employee pulls the stopper and fills the glass from the cider rushing in a thin stream.
Basque in the Rocky Mountains
After experience the pintxos bar and Basque cider, Jeremy knew he wanted to bring this experience to Sweet Basil in Vail, Colorado. Jeremy spent time with at Gurutzeta Sidra, a family-run cider house that is located int he Ergobria neighborhood of Astigarraga. They have been dedicated to the craft of making cider since the end of the 19th century. After being hosted by the family, Jeremy wanted to bring the tradition of the Basque cider to Vail, Colorado.
Starting on March 1st, 2025, the Gurutzeta cider will be featured in a limited après special. Running from 3p-430p every day until the cider runs out, Sweet Basil will be offering a limited guest experience paying ohmage to the Basque culture, the cider house and pintxos bar.
Guests can order a bottle of cider and a round of pintxos. The pintxos will be hand-picked by the chef team and delivered bar side. This special will start in March and continue until the cider runs out. Join us for a collaboration of the chef team and beverage department.
References:
https://www.gurutzeta.com/index_en.php
