Spanish cider comes from Asturias on the Atlantic coast where it is the local drink. The genuine article usually comes in plain 1 litre bottles, often without labels and the cork is often held down by twine. The most popular brand of cheap cider to be found on supermarket shelves is La Gaitera which is the poor man's champagne and is popular especially at festive times, although you will not find genuine Asturias cider on any shop shelves.

To sample the real thing it has to be served in large, wide, pint-sized glasses and the golden liquid is poured from a great height. The glass is never filled to more than a few centimetres and the tradition is that the last dregs are thrown onto the floor.

Asturian cider is always drunk within the year of production and the harvest is in the late spring. It is not a cheap drink and can be bought in most bars at around 2€ a bottle.

In northern Spain there are special cider bars where nothing else is sold. The cider is poured from a height and the correct way to drink it involves leaving the last mouthful in the glass and throwing it into a bucket on the floor of the bar. Some bars have special troughs in which the waste cider is poured.