Twelve years of celebrating the NW cider community
PORTLAND, OR (June 27, 2025) – The Northwest Cider Association announces the winners of the 2025 Northwest Cider Cup Awards, the most prestigious cider competition in the region. Entering its 12th year, this annual competition has grown into one of North America’s most rigorous and respected cider judging events.
Celebrating the finest ciders from Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and British Columbia, the Northwest Cider Cup showcases the Pacific Northwest’s exceptional craftsmanship and cider-making tradition. Ciders are judged by trained industry professionals who evaluate each entry based on appearance, aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel—honoring the best in each category with gold, silver, and bronze medals. Northwest Cider Cup celebrated winners at Holocene in Portland, Oregon on Thursday, June 26th.
2025 Best of Awards
Best of Show: Empyrical (WA) Principle, High-tannin Perries
Best of Show Runner Up: Bauman’s Cider (OR) McIntosh Single Varietal
New Cidery of the Year Award: Olympic Bluffs Cidery (WA)
Large Cidery of the Year: 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)
Medium Cidery of the Year: Bauman’s Cider (OR)
Small Cidery of the Year: Empyrical (WA)
By the numbers
231 entries were submitted, only 25% of cideries entered won
57 medals were awarded in 18 categories to 29 cideries
Winners: 18 from Washington, 16 from Oregon, 2 from Idaho and 4 from British Columbia
A full list of winners is available in the Winner’s Guide and https://www.nwcider.com/northwest-cider-cup/winners/
Because the competition draws from such a large cross section of the Pacific Northwest, several trends emerged that will likely be mirrored in the cider market this coming year.
Fruit Post-Fermentation Addition Sweet remains the competition’s largest and most competitive category, up 10% this year to 43 entries. This category highlights the creativity of Northwest cider makers using a wide variety of fruits—and stands as a backbone of the region’s cider industry.
High-Tannin Perries saw a 120% increase over the 2024 competition—a sign that specialty perries are gaining momentum. This growth reflects both a renewed commitment from cideries willing to experiment and the critical role of farmers cultivating rare, high-tannin pear varieties.
The Specialty Fortified category saw continued expansion with 71% more entries in 2025 after growing 133% in 2024. While this continued trend shows an interest in a higher ABV cider, the low alcohol/alcohol removed category, while small, is also increasing. Both trends indicate consumers are paying more attention to ABV.
Entries in Low-Tannin Dry decreased 44%, a significant drop for the first time in many years.
