2023 NW Cider Cup Winners Have Been Announced

The freshly re-branded 2023 NW Cider Cup has just held its awards ceremony and the winners have been announced. For the past ten years, cidermakers from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia have been entering its ciders to be judged in various categories. Until this year, the competition was known as the Portland International Cider Cup. To offer broader appeal, the name was changed to the NW Cider Cup.

“Every year the competition offers consumers and buyers a guide for finding quality ciders, and this year really showcased how creative and dynamic this industry has become,” said Emily Ritchie, Executive Director of the Northwest Cider Association (NWCA), the trade non-profit that organizes the NW Cider Cup. “The number of cideries in our region has increased from around 10 to 200 in a little over a decade – that’s nearly a 2,000% increase. To say that we’ve seen some growth would be an understatement.”

The 2023 awards presentation took place on Thursday, June 15 at Polaris Hall in Portland, Oregon. In attendance were nearly 200 makers, industry professionals, and cider enthusiasts. All there to learn who would come out on top in the 19 categories and best of categories.

“This year was the first time in the competition’s history that a red-fleshed dry cider took Best of Show, which was thrilling,” added Ritchie. “Not only does it show how far both cidermaking practices and consumer palates have come, but the pink apple varietal that won was originally discovered in Oregon. To me, this shows that we are developing unique regional styles that are terroir driven. This is how far we’ve evolved.”

This year’s competition was a record-breaking one. The NW Cider Cup received 279 entries from 51 unique commercial cider and perry makers, across the country’s largest apple growing region, the Pacific Northwest. Entries compete for one possible gold, silver and bronze per category, though through the strict judging process, medals are never guaranteed.

“Something that sets The Cup apart is how competitive it is to win,” Ritchie said. “This year, only 19% of all entries were awarded, so these medals really matter.”

2023 NW Cider Cup Winners

BEST OF SHOW
Glow – Airlie Red Flesh Single Varietal, Alpenfire Cider (WA) – Red-Fleshed Cider Dry Category

BEST OF SHOW RUNNER-UP
Barrel Aged Perry, Yonder Cider (WA) – High-Tannin Perry Category

BEST NEW CIDERY OF THE YEAR *TIE*
Empyrical Orchard and Cidery (WA) – AND – Heartland Ciderworks (OR)

BEST SMALL CIDERY OF THE YEAR
Puget Sound Cider Company (WA)

BEST MEDIUM CIDERY OF THE YEAR
Bauman’s Cider (OR)

BEST LARGE CIDERY OF THE YEAR
2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)

LOW-TANNIN CIDERS DRY
GOLD, Mac Dry, 2 Towns Ciderhouse – OR
SILVER – Dry Cider,  Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery – OR
BRONZE – Transplant, Highpoint Cider – ID

LOW-TANNIN CIDERS SWEET
GOLD – 11th Anniversary, 2 Towns Ciderhouse – OR
SILVER – Original Cosmic Crisp, 2 Towns Ciderhouse – OR
BRONZE – Local Legend, Schilling Cider – WA

HIGH TANNIN CIDERS DRY
GOLD – Kingston Black, Puget Sound Cider Company – WA
SILVER – Reine Des Pommes, Bauman’s Cider – OR
BRONZE – Dabinett Yarlington Mill  /  Dual Varietal, Alpenfire Cider – WA

HIGH-TANNIN CIDERS SWEET
GOLD – Estate Blend, Rootwood Cider Company – WA
SILVER – Excelsior Imperial Apple, Schilling Cider – WA
BRONZE – La Raison Reserve, Empyrical Orchards and Cider – WA

RED-FLESHED CIDERS DRY
GOLD – Glow – Airlie Red Flesh Single Varietal, Alpenfire Cider – WA
SILVER – Mountain Rosé, Puget Sound Cider Company – WA
BRONZE – Wenatchee Wave, Yonder Cider – WA

RED-FLESHED CIDERS SWEET
SILVER – Mountain Rose Single Varietal,  Bauman’s Cider – OR

LOW-TANNIN PERRIES
GOLD – Perry, Seattle Cider Company – WA

HIGH-TANNIN PERRIES
GOLD – Barrel Aged Perry, Yonder Cider – WA
BRONZE – Principle, Empyrical Orchard and Cidery – WA

WOOD/OAKED
GOLD – Mezcal Barrel Aged Cider, Bauman’s Cider – OR
SILVER – Reserve Cider, Kristof Farms – OR

SINGLE VARIETAL
GOLD – Kingston Black, Puget Sound Cider Company – WA
SILVER – Brown Snout, Single Varietal Bauman’s Cider – OR
BRONZE – McIntosh Pet Nat, Bauman’s Cider – OR

FRUIT CO-FERMENTED
GOLD – Quince Cider, Victoria Cider Co – BC
SILVER – Blackberry Pear, Puget Sound Cider Company – WA
BRONZE – Wild Blue Huckleberry, Puget Sound Cider Company – WA

FRUIT POST-FERMENTATION ADDITION SWEET
GOLD – Plum Dandy, Meriwether Cider – ID
SILVER – Coulee, Yonder Cider – WA
BRONZE – Cherry Lane, Sea Cider – BC

FRUIT-POST FERMENTATION DRY
GOLD – Palisades, Yonder Cider – WA
SILVER – Yuzu Plum, 19 Acres Cider Co. – OR
BRONZE – Loganberry Cider, Bauman’s Cider – OR

BOTANICAL HOPPED
GOLD – Liquid Limber, Union Hill Cider Co. – WA
SILVER – Hop Shot, Meriwether Cider – ID
BRONZE – Imperial Citra Kissed, Cedar Draw Cider – ID

BOTANICAL HERBED
GOLD – The Baddie, 2 Towns Ciderhouse – OR
SILVER – Lavender Black Currant, Finnriver Farm & Cidery – WA
BRONZE – Lavender Honey, Shuswap Cider Company – BC

BOTANICAL SPICED
GOLD – Pineapple Mai Tai, Swift Cider – OR
SILVER – Pumpkin Spice, Seattle Cider Company – WA
BRONZE – Cucumber Jalapeno, Incline Cider Company – WA

SPECIALTY FORTIFIED
GOLD – Ore No. 001, Runcible Cider Company – OR
SILVER – Pomona, Sea Cider – BC
BRONZE – Apple Mistelle – #2 | Estate Blend, Alpenfire Cider – WA

SPECIALTY LOW ALCOHOL/ALCOHOL REMOVED
GOLD – N/A Pacific Pineapple Cider, 2 Towns Ciderhouse – OR
SILVER – The Little Apple, Heartland Ciderworks – OR
BRONZE – Light Cider, Bauman’s Cider – OR

SPECIALTY OTHER
GOLD – Sour Empress, Cedar Draw Cider – ID
SILVER – Plum As You Are, 2 Towns Ciderhouse – OR
BRONZE – Hollow Jack, 2 Towns Ciderhouse – OR

NW Cider Cup is the region’s longest-standing, most competitive blind judging of ciders and perries, and has been organized by NWCA since 2016. The NWCA, is a regional non-profit representing the cider industry in OR, WA, ID, MT and British Columbia, with nearly 100 cidery members. The Cup, founded a decade ago by local cidermakers, aims to inspire and maintain high quality. That purpose remains a priority today. “Cidermakers want to win, but they’re also really rooting for each other.” Ritchie notes. “When NW makers take home gold and cider fans notice, the whole category benefits. This is a collaborative and supportive community.”

This spring, the competition got a fresh logo and updated name – it was formerly known as the Portland International Cider Cup. Categories and evaluation criteria also got an update. “We’re evolving the competition in a growing category. Local cider sales grew 30% over the last year!” Ritchie added.

The NW Cider Cup aspires to help cider curious better understand and articulate what they like in ciders, demystify how to select the best. The competition results offer a what to drink guide for anyone excited about NW cider today.