2021 U.S. Open Cider and Kombucha Championships

Oxford, Ohio (November 22) In the eighth annual U.S. Open Cider and Kombucha Championships, cideries,  wineries, and brewers from Hawaii to Sweden entered over 270 entries representing 25 different cider styles and 4 different kombucha styles. The final round of judging was held at the U.S. Open Event Center in Oxford, Ohio. Judging in the U.S. Open Cider Championships is blind, and the judges do not know what ciders they were tasting.

Blake’s Hard Cider in Armada, Michigan and Broski Ciderworks in Pompano Beach, Florida tied for first as the overall “Grand National Champions” at the 2021 U.S. Open Cider Championships. This is the first time in the U.S. Open’s 13 year history that there has been a tie. No cidery dominated the judging as 22 different cideries won Gold medals in 25 categories.

Blake’s Hard Cider won 2 gold medals and 2 silver medals. Their Grapefruit Cider and Apple Pie won gold, while their Tropical Pineapple and Amshire Iced Cider won silver.

Broski Ciderworks won the most gold medals in the competition. Their Tart Cherry Cider, Black Currant Cider and Sir Dickens Cider won gold. Sir Dickens Cider is a cider aged in White oak cask barrels. Smoky, mild wood flavors are carefully balanced by the crispness of apples. This cider was a favorite among the judges.

Top 10 Most Creative Cider Names  
1. Don’t Be an Apphole Cider – Kingview Mead, Wine and Cider
2. Orange U an IPA? – Urban Tree Hard Cider
3. Sriracha Sayonara Cider – Thornapple Brewing
4. Cheap Cran Cherrykee Cider – Blackgrass Ciderworks
5. Hellbender Hopped Cider – Tumbling Creek Cider
6. CASH-ually Hoptimistic Cider- Liquid Alchemy Ciderworks
7. Paradigm Shift Cider – Houston Cider
8. Zappy Cider – Rhinegeist
9. Tilted Barn Cider – The Duxbury Cider Company
10. Excelsior Mango Supernova Cider – Schillings Hard Cider

Click Here for the 2021 U.S. Open Hard Kombucha Medal Winners

2021 U.S. Open Cider Medal Winners  

Modern Cider – Dry
Gold – Cider 101 – Niagara College – Ontario
Gold – Harvest Apple – Urban Tree Hard Cider – Georgia
Silver – Original CB Macintosh – Ciderie Beaupre – Quebec
Bronze – Straight Apple Cider – Covered Bridge Brewing – Oregon

Heritage Cider
Gold – Maeloc Organic Dry Sidra – Maeloc Ciders – Spain
Silver – Galipette Brut – Galipette Cidre – France
Bronze – Two George Cyder – Widow’s Watch Cidery – Virginia

Traditional Cider
Gold – Aspall Dry – Aspall Cider House – England
Silver – Galipette Biologique – Galipette Cidre – France
Bronze – Farmstead – Bent Ladder – Ohio

Perry
Gold – Alfred’s Pear Son – Arsenal Cider House – Pennsylvania
Silver – Kopparberg Pear – Kopparberg – New York
Bronze – ACE Perry Craft Cider – California Cider Company – California

Fruit Cider
Gold – – Blake’s Grapefruit – Blake’s Hard Cider – Michigan
Silver – Steel City Sunrise – Arsenal Cider House – Pennsylvania
Bronze – Maeloc Pineapple and Pear Sidra – Maeloc Ciders – Spain

Pineapple Cider
Gold – ACE Pineapple Cider – California Cider Company – California
Silver – Blake’s Tropical Pineapple – Blake’s Hard Cider – Michigan
Bronze – Pineapple Hula – Ciderboys Hard Cider – Wisconsin

Peach
Gold – Peach – Apple Valley Cider Company – Colorado
Silver – Peach – Black Apple – Arkansas
Bronze – Peach County – Ciderboys Hard Cider – Wisconsin

Cherry Cider
Gold – Tart Cherry – Broski Ciderworks – Florida
Silver – McKenzie’s Black Cherry Hard Cider – Saranac Brewery – New York
Bronze – Cheap Cran Cherrykee – Blackgrass Ciderworks – Michigan

Cranberry
Gold – Cranny Granny – d’S Wicked Cider – Washington
Silver – Cranberry Cider – Country Boy Brewing – Kentucky
Bronze – Dry Cranberry – Thor’s Hard Cider – Minnesota

Blueberry
Gold – SoGa Blue – Urban Tree Hard Cider – Georgia
Silver – Blueberry – Black Apple – Arkansas
Bronze – Blue in Cider – KingView Mead, Wine, Cider – Pennsylvania

Fruit and Berry Cider
Gold – Kopparberg with Strawberry & Lime – Kopparberg – Sweden
Silver – Les Marmitons – Niagara College – Ontario
Silver – Cider Patch Punch – Glacial Till Vineyard – Nebraska
Bronze – Strawberry Magic – Ciderboys Hard Cider – Wisconsin

Black Currant
Gold – Black Currant – Broski Ciderworks – Florida
Silver – 522 Blackcurrant – Winchester Ciderworks – Virginia
Bronze – Black Currant – Apple Valley Cider Co – Tennessee

Applewine & Iced Cider
Gold – Perfect 10 – Portland Cider – Oregon
Silver – Amshire Iced Cider – Blake’s Hard Cider – Michigan
Bronze – Heirloom Ice – Two K Farms – Michigan

Herbal Cider
Gold – Honey Lavender – Glacial Till Vineyard – Nebraska
Silver – Peach & Spruce – Papa Moon Ciders – Nebraska
Bronze – Whitetop Spruce Cider – Tumbling Creek Cider – Virginia

Hopped Cider
Gold – Hopped – Papa Moon Ciders – Nebraska
Silver – Hopped – Urban Tree Hard Cider – Georgia
Bronze – Greenstone – Duluth Cider – Minnesota

Apple/Pumpkin Pie Spiced Cider
Gold – Apple Pie – Blake’s Hard Cider – Michigan
Silver – Apple Pie Cider – Two K Farms – Michigan
Bronze – Grant’s Flying Pumpkin – Arsenal Cider House – Pennsylvania

Spiced Cider
Gold – Pumpkin Spice – High Limb Cider – Massachusetts
Silver – Ardennes – Saro Cider – Nebraska
Bronze – Snug – Rhinegiest – Ohio

Wood-Aged Cider and Perry
Gold – Sir Dickens – Broski Ciderworks – Florida
Silver – Bourbon Vanilla – The Duxbury Cider Co. – Ontario
Bronze – Bourbon Barrel Buzz – Urban Tree Hard Cider – Georgia

Specialty Cider and Perry
Gold – Caramel Apple – Glacial Till Vineyard – Nebraska
Silver – It’s Pomegranate-Thyme – d’S Wicked Cider – Washington
Bronze – Mimosa – Vermont Cider Company – Vermont

Anything Goes
Gold – Cayenne Cider – Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly Cidery – Minnesota
Gold – Beaupre Framboise Rhubarb – Ciderie Beaupre – Quebec
Bronze – El Thoro – Thor’s Hard Cider – Minnesota

Single Varietal Cider
Gold – Cox Orange Pippin – Mount Diablo Cider Company – California
Silver – Honeycrisp Ice – Two K Farms – Michigan
Bronze – Bel-Hole – Coyote Hole Ciderworks – Virginia

Rose’ Ciders
Gold – Daydream – Diskin Cider
Silver – Artic Rose – Thor’s Hard Cider – Minnesota
Bronze – Rose’ Cider – Two K Farms – Michigan
Bronze – Rosé Gold – Bent Lader – Ohio

Brut Ciders
Gold – Brite Good – Bryant’s Cider – Virgina
Silver – BRUT Virginia Sparkling Apple Wine – Widow’s Watch Cidery – Virginia
Bronze – Picket Bone Dry – Arsenal Ciderhouse – Pennsylvania

Sangrias(first time the same ciders finished in the same order as the previous year)
Gold – Woodchuck Sangria – Vermont Cider Company – Vermont
Silver – Sister Sangria – Coyote Hole Cider – Virginia
Bronze – Sunset Sangria – Coyote Hole Cider – Virginia