In the Basque Country it was customary to visit the rural farmhouses seasonally, to taste the new cider and make purchases for the year. To counter the effects of the alcohol, simple foods were offered, elaborated from the farm’s own meats and vegetables.
In the early 20th Century small taverns appeared in the Basque Country, places to share the country’s best ciders and wines together with traditional foods in an informal and popular atmosphere. Following the example of the cider-makers, bite-sized foods, or pintxos, were also served to lower the excesses caused by drinking.Cider houses and taverns are and have always been a cultural legacy in the Basque Country. A legacy which Sagardi wishes to conserve and convert into a meeting place of the past with the present, where culture and relations can come together.