Report variety of entries made this the biggest PICC competitors ever!
PORTLAND, OR (Might 27, 2022) – The Northwest Cider Affiliation (NWCA) proudly introduced the 2022 winners of their ninth annual Portland Worldwide Cider Cup (PICC) competitors final evening at a sold-out awards get together, hosted at Swift Cider in NE Portland.
“Cider was the one craft beverage that grew within the Northwest final 12 months, so this 12 months’s competitors was very thrilling,” says Northwest Cider Affiliation’s Govt Director, Emily Ritchie. “We had practically 60% extra entries than final 12 months, and in addition created some fascinating new classes like Purple-Fleshed Ciders, in addition to subcategories for the booming Fruit Cider part.”
NWCA unveiled 57 Gold, Silver and Bronze medal profitable ciders from Pacific Northwest cidermakers throughout 20 distinct classes and 7 subcategories – starting from Fashionable Dry to Conventional Perries. Entries come from OR, WA, MT, ID and British Columbia – the continent’s largest apple rising area. The competitors is strict and never all classes take medals if the standard is just not there, an uncommon method for cider competitions. Ciders are judged by skilled trade consultants on the lookout for excellence, flaws and decided fashion qualities.
The Huge Winners Are…
Different Noteworthy Medal Winners…
New Cideries
- Gold: RAW Cider Firm (OR) for “Semi Dy” in French Class
- Silver: Idol Cider Home (OR) for “Claystone” in Heirloom Dry Cider Class
- Bronze: Victoria Cider Co (BC) for “Keeved” in French Class
Established Cideries
- Gold: Finnriver Cidery (WA) for “Golden Russet” in Single Varietal Bittersweet/Bittersharp Class
- Gold: Liberty (WA) for “Garratza” in Wild/Non-Sac Class
- Gold: Bauman’s (OR) for “Farmer’s Outdated Long-established” in Wooden Oaked Class
- Gold: 2 Cities (OR) for “Pacific Pineapple” in Fruit/Tropical Class
- Gold: Scenic Street (BC) for “Peary” in Fashionable Perry Class
- Silver: 12 Bridge (OR) for “Tilikum Tropic Thunder” in Fruit/Tropical Class
- Silver: Avid (OR) for “Apricot Peach” in Fruit/Stone Class
- Silver: Lockhorn (MT) for “Gallatin Grapefruit Mint” in Fruit/Citrus Class
- Silver: Ragged & Proper (WA) for “Pommeau” in Specialty Class
- Silver: Sea Cider (BC) for “Wild English” in Wild/Non-Sac Class
- Bronze: Tieton (WA) for “Lavender Honey” in Botanical Class
- Bronze: Riley’s (BC) “Sip & Inform Single Varietal Mac” in Single Varietal – dessert/culinary Class
- Bronze: Incline (WA) “Blood Orange” in Fruit/Citrus Class
- Bronze: Archibald James Wine & Cider (WA) “Rubus Wild Raspberry” in Wild/Non-Sac Class
- Bronze: Swift (OR) “Blueberry” in Fruit/Different Class
2022 Enjoyable Details:
- 57 Complete Medals had been awarded (17 Bronze, 21 Silver and 19 Gold).
- Finest in Present went to Seattle Cider (WA) Honeycrisp, which gained gold in each Fashionable Candy and Single Varietal Cider – dessert/culinary class.
- Finest in Present Runner Up went to Peak Mild Cider (OR) for his or her Orchard Reserve Quince Cider, which took Gold for the second 12 months operating within the Specialty class.
- Finest New Cidery went to RAW Cider Firm (OR). RAW earned Gold for his or her Semi Dry within the French Cider class.
For a full itemizing of winners go to nwcider.com/information
The Northwest is dwelling to 150 orchard-based, small, unbiased, and mid-sized makers, and Portland Worldwide Cider Cup is the area’s premier judged competitors.
This 12 months, PICC acquired extra cider entries than ever earlier than, up practically 100 entries from 2021. Within the 2022 competitors, practically 50 cideries from OR, WA, MT, ID and British Columbia entered 241 distinctive choices, judged by slightly below 50 skilled cider judges who traveled from across the area to Portland, Oregon for the all-day judging occasion in early Might.
“We anticipated progress from final 12 months, however the enthusiasm of established cideries coming into a number of ciders, alongside new cideries and people who had by no means entered the cup earlier than completely exceeded our expectations,” says Northwest Cider Affiliation’s Govt Director, Emily Ritchie. NWCA, who runs the competitors, is a non-profit supporting cidermakers in 4 Northwest states and British Columbia – an space acknowledged as one of the progressive cider areas within the nation.
PICC Historical past
Began practically a decade in the past by a handful of native makers, Portland Worldwide Cider Cup continues to be a little bit of an trade insider secret. Born from the founders’ need to solicit beneficial, blind product suggestions from judges, the cup has been an engine, driving high quality and fostering wholesome competitors and neighborhood. PICC has step by step grown in measurement and visibility because the cider class turns into extra identified and extra cideries open their doorways. In 2021, 45 medals had been awarded. In 2022, the quantity rose to 57 medals, in live performance with a large enhance in aggressive entries.
Because the competitors continues to develop, medaling at PICC stays a problem and is a revered accolade. “Lower than 1 / 4 of ciders entered this 12 months gained a medal, so these wins actually matter,” provides Ritchie. “Cidermaking within the Northwest is a celebrated and revered craft, and our ciders proceed incomes recognition each at dwelling and internationally.” NWCA has been operating the competitors since 2016, and coaching judges is one thing the Affiliation takes critically.
About Northwest Cider Affiliation
Based in 2010, the Northwest Cider Affiliation (NWCA) brings cideries and cider lovers collectively to be taught, expertise and benefit from the Northwest cider tradition. Representing greater than 90 business cidermakers from all through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia, the group is devoted to supporting, selling and rising its thriving trade. For extra info, go to NWCider.com and observe @nwcider on social media.
