The 2025 Northwest Cider Cup celebrated another outstanding year for craft cider in the Pacific Northwest, showcasing the region’s exceptional talent, innovation, and dedication to quality. Organized by the Northwest Cider Association (NWCA), this prestigious competition—now in its 12th year—remains one of the most rigorous cider judging events in North America, drawing entries from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia.

What is the Northwest Cider Cup?

The Northwest Cider Cup highlights the best commercial ciders and perries produced in the Pacific Northwest. Open to cidermakers across these states and provinces, it sets a high benchmark for excellence in one of the world’s most recognized cider regions. In 2025, the competition saw 231 entries submitted, reflecting strong participation and creativity among producers.

Entries are evaluated by trained industry professionals based on key criteria: appearance, aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel. Medals—gold, silver, and bronze—are awarded in various categories, with only the top performers recognized. This year, 57 medals were handed out across 18 categories, meaning just 25% of participating cideries took home hardware—a testament to the competition’s high standards.

The awards ceremony took place on June 26, 2025, at Holocene in Portland, Oregon, where the cider community gathered to toast the winners and celebrate the industry’s growth.

Key Highlights and Trends from 2025

The 2025 edition showed continued evolution in Northwest cider styles:

• Fruit Post-Fermentation Addition Sweet remained the largest and most competitive category, growing 10% to 43 entries. This reflects the region’s love for creative, fruit-forward ciders that appeal to a broad audience.
• Specialty categories like Specialty Fortified expanded significantly (up 71% in entries following a 133% jump in 2024), highlighting experimentation with higher-ABV options and unique techniques.
• Interest in perry (pear-based cider) surged, driven by cidermakers’ commitment to rare, high-tannin pear varieties and farmers’ efforts to cultivate them.
• Trends in alcohol levels were notable: higher-ABV fortified styles grew, while low-alcohol or alcohol-removed ciders also increased slightly, showing consumers paying closer attention to ABV.

The competition also coincided with the NWCA’s 15th anniversary (founded in 2010), underscoring the organization’s role in uniting cidermakers, orchardists, and enthusiasts to promote and grow the regional cider scene.

Top Honors and Standout Winners

• Best in Show: Empyrical Cider’s Principle Perry — a standout perry that claimed the highest overall honor.
• Best in Show Runner-Up: Bauman’s Cider’s McIntosh Single-Varietal.
• Small Cidery of the Year: Empyrical Cider (which also took Best in Show).
• Large Cidery of the Year: 2 Towns Ciderhouse.
• New Cidery of the Year: Olympic Bluffs Cidery and Lavender, recognized for their impressive debut with Lavender Salal Cider.

Other notable achievements:

• Bauman’s Cider led with 8 medals.
• 2 Towns Ciderhouse and Empyrical Cider each earned 5 medals.
• Portland Cider secured 4 medals.
• Winners came from across the region: 18 from Washington, 16 from Oregon, 2 from Idaho, and 4 from British Columbia.

Full List of Medal Winners

Botanical Herbed
Gold: Lavender Honey – Shuswap Cider Company – British Columbia
Silver: Lavender Salal – Olympic Bluffs Cidery – Washington
Bronze: Salal Berry Cider – Bauman’s Cider – Oregon

Botanical Hopped
Gold: Hopped – Victoria Cider Co. – British Columbia
Silver: Fresh Hopped – 19 Acres Cider Co. – Oregon
Bronze: Imperial Citra Kissed – Cedar Draw Cider – Idaho

Botanical Spiced
Gold: Winter Spice – Bauman’s Cider – Oregon
Silver: Golden Ghost – Rootwood Cider Company – Washington
Bronze: Soulless Pear – Ten Towers Cider Company – Oregon

Fruit Co-Fermented
Gold: Made Marion – 2 Towns Ciderhouse – Oregon
Silver: Noir – Kristof Farms – Oregon
Bronze: Juicy Pear – Bauman’s Cider – Oregon

Fruit Post-Fermentation Addition Dry
Gold: Inquiry – Empyrical – Washington
Silver: Blueberry Agave – 19 Acres Cider Co. – Oregon
Bronze: Strawberry – Swift Cider – Oregon

Fruit Post-Fermentation Addition Sweet
Gold: Moon Berries – Schilling Cider – Washington
Silver: Huckleberry Lemonade – Portland Cider Co. – Oregon
Bronze: Pacific Berry – Portland Cider Co. – Oregon
Bronze: Excelsior Imperial Passionfruit Pineapple – Schilling Cider – Washington
Bronze: Imperial Magic Berry – Tieton Cider Works – Washington

High-Tannin Ciders Dry
Gold: Brut – Kristof Farms – Oregon
Silver: Kingston Blend – Puget Sound Cider Company – Washington
Bronze: Kearns Estate – RAW Cider Co. – Oregon

High-Tannin Ciders Sweet
Gold: Bittersweet – Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse – British Columbia
Silver: Virginia Crabapple – Puget Sound Cider Company – Washington
Bronze: White Barn Estate Cuvee 2023 – Bull Run Cider – Oregon

High-Tannin Perries
Gold: Principle – Empyrical – Washington
Silver: Perry – Finnriver Farm and Cidery – Washington
Bronze: Estate Perry – Blossom Barn Cidery – Oregon

Low-Tannin Ciders Dry
Gold: Ashmead’s Kernel – Bauman’s Cider – Oregon
Silver: 14th Anniversary – 2 Towns Ciderhouse – Oregon
Bronze: Kinda Dry – Portland Cider Co. – Oregon

Low-Tannin Ciders Sweet
Gold: Midnight Blue Dragon – Seven Seeds Seidr – Oregon
Silver: Original Gold – Portland Cider Co. – Oregon
Bronze: Odyssey – Seattle Cider Company – Washington

Low-Tannin Perries
Gold: Rogue Valley Perry – Blossom Barn Cidery – Oregon
Silver: Barland – Empyrical – Washington
Bronze: Parametric – Empyrical – Washington

Red-Fleshed Ciders
Gold: Mountain Rose SV – Bauman’s Cider – Oregon
Silver: Airlie Red – RAW Cider Co. – Oregon
Bronze: Glow – Alpenfire Cider – Washington

Single Varietal
Gold: McIntosh Single Varietal – Bauman’s Cider – Oregon
Silver: Golden Russet – Rootwood Cider Company – Washington
Bronze: Early Bird – Bauman’s Cider – Oregon

Specialty Fortified
Gold: Pommeau – 19 Acres Cider Co. – Oregon
Silver: Estelle – Pommeau – Ten Towers Cider Company – Oregon
Bronze: Pommeau – Union Hill Cider Co. – Washington

Specialty Low Alcohol/Alcohol Removed
Gold: Lite Cider – Bauman’s Cider – Oregon
Silver: Sidekick Pacific Pineapple – 2 Towns Ciderhouse – Oregon
Bronze: Pub Cider – Cockrell Cider Farm – Washington

Specialty Other
Gold: Sidra Natural – 2 Towns Ciderhouse – Oregon
Silver: Rosé – Meriwether Cider – Idaho
Bronze: August – Empyrical – Washington

Wood/Oaked
Gold: Oak Barrel Kingston Black – Greenwood Cider Co. – Washington
Silver: Fire Barrel – Finnriver Farm and Cidery – Washington
Bronze: The Bad Apple – 2 Towns Ciderhouse – Oregon

BEST OF SHOW
Best of Show (overarching award): Principle – Empyrical – Washington (High-Tannin Perries)
Best of Show Runner-Up: McIntosh Single Varietal – Bauman’s Cider – Oregon (Single Varietal)

The Northwest Cider Cup does more than hand out awards—it elevates the craft, encourages innovation, and connects consumers with top-tier producers. Whether you’re a cider enthusiast exploring new bottles or a fan of the region’s apple- and pear-driven traditions, the 2025 results highlight why the Pacific Northwest remains a powerhouse in modern cider making.

Raise a glass to the winners, the hardworking cidermakers, and the bright future of Northwest cider! For more on the NWCA and upcoming events, check out nwcider.com or follow @nwcider on social media. Cheers! 🍎🍐