2019 U.S. Open Cider Championship Medal Winners & Grand National Champion

2019 U.S. Open Cider Championship Medal Winners & Grand National Champion
In the sixth annual U.S. Open Cider Championship, cideries, wineries and breweries from Hawaii to Iceland entered over 300 ciders representing 24 different styles. The final round of judging was held in Buffalo, New York, and the judges were from Niagara College Teaching Winery, Niagara College Teaching Brewery and cideries in the Niagara area. Judging in the U.S. Open Cider Championships is blind, and the judges do not know what ciders they were tasting.

Glacial_Hill_gold_medalGlacial Till Vineyard & Winery from Palmyra, Nebraska was named Grand National Champion for winning three gold medals. Their gold medals were for their Original Cider, Passion Pineapple Cider and Hibiscus Ginger Cider.

Heritage Estate Winery and Cidery from Barrie, Ontario placed second while Ciderboys from Stevens Point, Wisconsin and Niagara College Teaching Cidery tied for third. No cidery dominated the judging as 19 different cideries won Gold medals in 24 categories and 53 cideries won medals.

Top 10 Most Creative Cider Names
The judges also named a “Judges Award” for the top ten “Most Creative Names.” Among the favorites:

1. Pedaler’s Road Rash Strawberry Hard Cider – Quantum Leap Winery
2. Dead & Berried Cider – Brewdog Brewing
3. Easy Breezy Cider – Courthouse Creek Cider
4. It’s A Barnyard Singalong – Wicked Barley Brewing
5. Apple Pie a la Mode Hard Cider – Turquoise Barn Cider
6. The Grasshopper – Cellar Door Cider
7. Johnny Be Good Cider – Contoocook Cider Company
8. Drunk in Love Cider – Dingo Dog Brewing
9. Hollow Jack’d Cider – 2 Towns Ciderhouse
10. Peach Better Have My Honey Cider – Niagara College Teaching Cidery

U.S. Open Cider Championship Medal Winners

Modern Cider – Sweet
Gold – Original – Glacial Till Vineyard & Winery – Nebraska
Silver – First Press – Ciderboys Hard Cider – Wisconsin
Bronze – Daily Rations – Arsenal Cider House – Pennsylvania

Modern Cider – Dry
Gold – Cider 101 – Niagara College Teaching Cidery – Ontario
Silver – BrightCider – 2 Towns Ciderhouse – Oregon
Bronze – Dry Cider – Houston Cider Company – Texas

Heritage Cider – Sweet & Dry
Gold – Heirloom – Bent Ladder – Ohio
Silver – Cider Maker Series – Ian – Far from the Tree – Massachusetts
Bronze – Harry Masters Jersey – Big B’s Hard Cider – Colorado

Traditional Cider – Sweet & Dry
Gold – Heirloom Cider – Heritage Estate Winery & Cidery – Ontario
Silver – Cooneys Irish Cider – Adams Cider Company – Ireland
Bronze – Devils Bit Irish Cider – Adams Cider Company – Ireland

Fruit Cider
Gold – Brass Ring – Virtue Cider – Michigan
Silver – Pomegrante Craft Cider – Atlanta Hard Cider – Georgia
Bronze – Staycation – One Tree Hard Cider – Washington
Bronze – Caribe Blood Orange Tropical Hard Cider – Florida Beer Co.

Perry & Pear Cider
Gold – Organic Perry – Samuel Smith’s Brewery – England
Silver – Wyders Pear – Vermont Cider – Vermont
Bronze – Pear – Wild State Cider – Minnesota

Pineapple Cider
Gold – Passion Pineapple – Glacial Till Vineyard & Winery – Nebraska
Silver – White Pineapple Cider – Ola Brew Co. – Hawaii
Bronze – Tiki Tonik – Diskin Cider – Tennessee
Bronze – Wyders Prickly Pineapple – Vermont Cider Company – Vermont

Cherry Cider
Gold – Cherish – Broski Ciderworks – Florida
Silver – Cherry Cider – Two K Farms – Michigan
Bronze – BTC – Diskin Cider – Tennessee

Peach Cider
Gold – Peach County – Ciderboys – Wisconsin
Silver – Peach in Cider – Cigar City Cidery – Florida
Bronze – McKenzie’s Peach Tea Hard Cider – McKenzie’s Hard Cider – New York

Sangria Cider
Gold – Sangria -Coyote Hole Ciderworks – Virginia
Silver – Woodchuck Sangria – Vermont Cider – Vermont
Bronze – Sidra Sangria – Meriwether Cider – Idaho

Strawberry
Gold – Maeloc Strawberry Cider – Maeloc Hard Ciders – Spain
Silver – Strawberry Magic – Ciderboys – Wisconsin
Bronze – Strawberry – The Good Cider – Spain
Bronze – Pedaler’s Road Rash Strawberry – Quantum Leap Winery – Florida

Fruit and Berry Cider
Gold – Rasé – Ragged Hill Cider Company – Massachusetts
Silver – Raspberry Rooftop – Green Bench Mead & Cider – Florida
Silver – Wild Berry – The Good Cider of San Sebastian – Spain
Bronze – Blackcurrant – Broski Ciderworks – Florida

Applewine
Gold – Apple Wine – Heritage Estate Winery & Cidery – Ontario
Silver – The Perfect 10 – Portland Cider Company – Oregon
Bronze – Apfelwein – March First Brewing – Ohio

Herbal Cider
Gold – Lemon Basil – One Tree Hard Cider – Washington
Silver – Swizzle – Rhinegeist Cidergeist – Ohio
Bronze – Wild Flower – Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly Cidery – Minnesota
Bronze – Hibiscus Saison – Common Cider Company – California

Hopped Cider
Gold – The Grasshopper – Cellar Door Cider – California
Gold – The Explorer Hopped – Incline Cider Company – Washington
Silver – Fido – Blake’s Hard Cider – Michigan
Bronze – ERSA – ERIS Brewery and Ciderhouse – Illinois

Apple Pie Spiced Cider
Gold – Apple Pie Cider – Wild Blossom Cider by Sycamore – North Carolina
Silver – Hollow Jack’d – 2 Towns Ciderhouse – Oregon
Bronze – Baked Apple – ds Wicked Cider – Washington

Spiced Cider
Gold – Hibiscus Ginger – Glacial Till Vineyard & Winery – Nebraska
Silver – The Wanderer – Odd Brothers Craft Cider – Michigan
Bronze – Ginger Root – Meriwether Cider – Idaho

Wood-Aged Cider and Perry
Gold – Bootlegger’s Bourbon – Arsenal Cider House – Pennsylvania
Silver – Yellow Belly Barrel Aged Cider – Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly Cidery – Minnesota
Bronze – It’s a barnyard sing along – Wicked Barley Brewing – Florida

Specialty Cider and Perry
Gold – Mango Foxtrot – Cider Corps – Arizona
Silver – Sultuslakur – Ægir Brugghús – Iceland
Silver – Elderflower Pear – Rhinegeist Cidergeist – Ohio
Bronze – Oh Honey – The 401 Cider Brewery – Ontario

Unlimited Cider and Perry
Gold – Original – Cidre Beaupré – Quebec
Silver – Organic Cider – Samuel Smith’s Brewery – England
Bronze – Urban Legend – 5 Penny Hard Cider – Ohio

Anything Goes
Gold – Las Lajas – Duluth Cider – Minnesota
Silver – London Fog – Clafeld Fruit Winery – Ontario
Bronze – Singapore Sling – Houston Cider Company – Texas
Bronze – Cider Mill Donut – Cranker’s Brewery – Michigan

Single Varietal Cider
Gold – Gravenstein – Thomas Brothers Hard Cider – California
Silver – Gold Rush – Arsenal Cider House – Pennsylvania
Bronze – Johnny B Good – Contoocook Cider – New Hampshire

Rose’ Cider
Gold – Hey Lady – Clafeld Fruit Winery – Ontario
Silver – Daydream – Diskin Cider – Tennessee
Bronze – Doom & Bloom – Brewdog Brewing – Ohio

Brut Cider
Gold – Brut Cider – Niagara College Teaching Cidery – Ontario
Silver – Dragon’s Gold – Heritage Estate Winery & Cidery – Ontario
Bronze – Wild Blossom Brut – Wild Blossom Cider by Sycamore – North Carolina