2026 NW Cider Cup Award Winners & Recap
The 13th annual 2026 Northwest Cider Cup awards were announced at a ceremony at Portland, Oregon’s Holocene on Thursday, June 25th. Founded by cidermakers, the regional awards organized by the Northwest Cider Association celebrates the best ciders and perries from across the Pacific Northwest.
Accepting commercial entries from Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia, the range of ciders and perries competing this year reflects the depth and diversity of Pacific Northwest cider culture. Each entry is evaluated by trained industry professionals on appearance, aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel — with gold, silver, and bronze medals awarded to the best in every category.
BEHIND THE MEDAL
Every entry is evaluated through a rigorous blind tasting process by a diverse panel of trained judges, more than half of whom are American Cider Association Certified Cider Professionals. Judges assess appearance, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel and overall balance to identify truly exceptional ciders and perries. The resulting medal winners showcase the remarkable diversity of the Pacific Northwest’s vibrant cider culture, spanning from classic all-apple ciders and single varietals to wood/oaked and botanically infused, from fruit forward and low/no ABV to innovative specialty styles.
By the numbers
236 entries submitted, only 25% of ciders entered won
60 medals were awarded in 19 categories to 51 cideries
Winners: 25 from Washington, 31 from Oregon, and 4 from British Columbia
The 236 entries reflect what cidermakers across the region are seeing in consumer demand — a real-time snapshot of what will be in glasses across the Northwest. This year's trends include:
Low-alcohol ciders continue to rise. The Low Alcohol and Alcohol Removed category (4.5% ABV and below) keeps growing — and this is the first year two low-ABV ciders won medals outside of the Specialty Low Alcohol/Alcohol Removed Category.
New cideries are entering the market. Nine new cideries competed this year, all having opened throughout the Northwest since April 2025. That growth mirrors cider's broader momentum across the craft beverage industry: According to a study done by market research firm Circana, cider is growing more than eight times faster than beer in the Pacific Northwest. That same study found that Oregon, Washington, and Idaho account for 24.8% of all U.S. cider sales, while these three states represent just 4.2% of the U.S. population.
Beyond fruit-forward: emerging styles are making their mark. While ciders with fruit additions remain a leading category by volume, standout trends are emerging in what rises to the top:
Red-fleshed apples had a spotlight moment this year. Their naturally striking color produces a red hue without any added fruit flavors.
Single-varietal ciders surged, with 30% more entries than in previous years. Much like wine drinkers seeking out specific grape varieties, cider drinkers are gravitating toward individual apple varieties — Kingston Black, Golden Russet, and others gaining real momentum.
Low-Tannin Ciders claimed the top prize for the first time. Dry and approachable, these ciders are made with everyday eating apples rather than cider-specific varieties — the most common non-fruited style, and now, finally, a Cider Cup winner.
LOW-TANNIN CIDERS (DRY)
Gold - 15th Anniversary, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)
Silver - Dryabolical, Schilling Cider (WA)
Silver - 2024 City Fruit, Seattle Cider Company (OR) (Credit to Seattle-Based Cidermaking Team)
Bronze - Cowichan Dry, Merridale Cidery & Distillery (BC)
Bronze - Dry, Finnriver Farm & Cidery (WA)
LOW-TANNIN CIDERS (SWEET)
Gold - Original Cosmic Crisp, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)
Silver - Local Legend, Schilling Cider (WA)
Bronze - Honeycrisp, Seattle Cider Company (OR)
HIGH-TANNIN CIDERS (DRY)
Gold - Orchard Cuvee No.1, RAW Cider Co. (OR)
Silver - Endless Harvest, Bauman’s Cider Company (OR)
Silver - King’s Ransom, Alchemy Cider Co. (OR)
Bronze - Excelsior Imperial Hyper Dry, Schilling Cider (WA)
Bronze - Frequin Rouge, Raw Cider Co. (OR)
HIGH-TANNIN CIDERS (SWEET)
Gold - Brut Cider, Kristof Farms (OR)
Silver - Scrumpy, Greenwood Cider (WA)
Bronze - Excelsior Imperial Apple, Schilling Cider (WA)
FRUIT (CO-FERMENTED)
Gold - Apple Pear, Puget Sound Cider Company (WA)
Silver - Pinot Noir Hard Cider, 19 Acres Cider Co. (OR)
Bronze - Made Marion, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)
FRUIT (POST-FERMENTATION ADDITION DRY)
Gold - Inversion, Empyrical (WA)
Silver - Cran-Cucumber, Endless Orchard Cider (WA)
Bronze - Blackberry, Puget Sound Cider Company (WA)
POST-FERMENTATION ADDITION SWEET
Gold - Peach, Offset Ciderworks (WA)
Silver - Golden Lime Cosmic Crisp, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)
Silver - Guava Get Down, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)
Silver - Pear Lychee, Portland Cider Co. (OR)
Bronze - Excelsior Imperal Blackberry, Schilling Cider (WA)
Bronze - Blueberry Cider, Abandoned Orchards (WA)
SINGLE VARIETAL
Gold - Kingston Black, Finnriver Farm & Cidery (WA)
Silver - Roxbury Russet, Rootwood Cider Co. (WA)
Bronze - Kingston Black (2025), 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)
RED-FLESHED CIDERS DRY
Gold - Robert’s Red, Union Hill Cider Co. (WA)
Silver - Mountain Rose SV Bauman’s Cider Company (OR)
Bronze - Irene Rose, Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery (OR)
RED-FLESHED CIDERS SWEET
Silver - Eve, Heartland Ciderworks (OR)
Bronze - Nootka Rose, Alpenfire Cider (WA)
PERRIES (LOW-TANNIN)
Gold - Perry, Raw Cider Co. (OR)
Silver - Pear, Abandoned Orchards (WA)
Bronze - Ridge Reserve Perry, Nashi Orchards (WA)
PERRIES (HIGH-TANNIN)
Gold - Estate Sparkling Perry, Raw Cider Co. (OR)
Silver - Barrel-Aged Estate Perry, Blossom Barn Cidery (OR)
Bronze - Pyriform, Empyrical (WA)
BOTANICAL (HERBED)
Gold - Basil Mint, Seattle Cider Company (OR)
Silver - Laurel, Collaboration with Grand Fir Brewing Bauman’s Cider Company (OR)
Bronze - Lavender, Honey Tieton Cider Works (WA)
BOTANICAL (HOPPED)
Gold - Alora!, Bauman’s Cider Company (OR)
Silver - Mo’Moro, Merridale Cidery & Distillery (BC)
Bronze - Coastal Hop, Olympic Bluffs Cidery (WA)
BOTANICAL (SPICED)
Gold - Ginja Ninja, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)
Silver - Genji’s Goji Berry Cider, Taves Estate Cidery (BC)
Bronze - Cranberry + Spice, Offset Ciderworks (WA)
WOOD/OAKED
Gold - Scrumpy, Merridale Cidery & Distillery (BC)
Silver - The Bad Apple, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)
Bronze - Pear Co-Ferment, Bauman’s Cider Company (OR)
SPECIALTY (LOW ALCOHOL/ALCOHOL REMOVED)
Gold - The Little Rose, Heartland Ciderworks (OR)
Silver - The Isles, Madrone Cellars (WA)
Bronze - Non-Alcoholic Guava Get Down, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)
SPECIALTY (FORTIFIED)
Gold - 2022 Pommeau, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)
Silver - Pommeau, 19 Acres Cider Co. (OR)
Bronze - Pommeau, Finnriver Farm & Cidery (WA)
NEW CIDERY OF THE YEAR
Abandoned Orchards
SMALL CIDERY OF THE YEAR
RAW Cider Works
MEDIUM CIDERY OF THE YEAR
Bauman’s Cider
LARGE CIDERY OF THE YEAR
2 Towns Ciderhouse
GOOD APPLE AWARD
Ashley Lindsay, Pleasant Valley Cider Apples
SIP YOUR WAY THROUGH THE WINNERS
Use this guide to discover exceptional cider, explore a wide range of styles and taste the best the region has to offer. Plan your trip to visit these medal-winning producers using the Northwest Cider Association’s cider map or shop a curated selection of stand out ciders and perries from online cider retailer, Press Then Press, available for delivery nationwide.