The Cidercraft Awards return for our ninth year, celebrating excellence across today’s cider landscape. From high-tannin, orchard-driven expressions to clean, modern styles and ciders defined by innovative techniques and thoughtful use of ingredients, the competition highlights exceptional craftsmanship.
The top four ciders in each category will receive Platinum, Double Gold, Gold, and Silver medals—creating a trusted resource for cider drinkers, buyers, and industry professionals.
- Submission deadline: Friday, March 27
- Product delivery deadline: Friday, April 3
- Submission Fee: $75/per submission
- Judging: April 2026
- Results Released: May 7, 2026
- Eligibility: Open to commercial cider producers nationally and globally
Submit Your Cider Here
The Process
Ciders will be tasted blind by a panel of leading cider palettes including Certified Cider Professionals, beverage directors/buyers, writers, makers, bottle shop owners, distributors and industry professionals.
The medalists will be announced Thursday, May 7 to Cidercraft and Sip Magazine readers and followers through cidercraftmag.com, sipmagazine.com, social media channels, opt-in email database and valued partners.
Submission Guidelines
Please be sure to read submission guidelines and instructions carefully. Categories and descriptions are outlined below.
- Deadline to submit products online and delivered is Friday, March 27.
- Cost of entry is $75 USD for each individual product submitted. Payment is accepted by check at the address listed below, or credit card online by clicking HERE. The applicable fees must be paid with submission to be entered in the judging.
- Please fill out the submission form HERE.
- The submission will not be entered into the competition if the judging form is not completed online and payment received before March 27th.
- Quantity Needed Per Packaging Size:
750-ML bottles – three (3) samples each
375-ML & 500-ML bottles – four (4) samples each
Cans (any size) – four (4) samples each
Crowlers – two (2) samples each
64-ounce growlers, send one (1) sample each
Dessert/fortified submit (1) sample - If a cider can fit in more than one category, a producer may submit it into both categories as separate submissions. If a single category is preferred, select the category in which the cider’s dominant characteristics would best fit.
In the event that a cider is submitted to the wrong category, the Cidercraft team will recategorize the submission. If, however, a category lacks sufficient submissions to warrant its own category, ciders will be moved to the most suitable category available. If relocation isn’t feasible, the submission will be refunded, and the producer will be notified of any changes.
*Payment link: HERE
**Submission form link: HERE
Shipping Instructions
- Carefully package all glass-format ciders, especially growlers, as shipping companies are not always gentle.
- PLEASE do not use packing peanuts or popcorn.
- Ship all entries and check payments to the following address:
Seattle Wine Storage
Attn: Cidercraft Magazine
9401 Aurora Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103
For in-person delivery, you may drop off directly to Seattle Wine Storage and let them know the delivery is for Cidercraft. Seattle Wine Storage is open from 12-6pm, daily.
CATEGORIES
BERRY : Cider base infused with any combination of berries. This cider is berry only, no other adjuncts.
BOTANICAL: Cider base infused with any combination of herbs, nectars, leaves, tea, etc.
COCKTAIlL-INSPIRED: Ciders with apple or pear base, that are influenced by cocktails (ex. paloma, sangria, margarita, mojito, mimosa).
DESSERT/FORTIFIED: Ice cider, late harvest, pommeau-style or other styles with spirits added.
FRUIT: Cider base infused or co-fermented with other fruits, such as pear, tropical fruit, etc. Co-Ferments and Stone Fruit ciders have their own category.
FRUIT / STONE-FRUIT CO-FERMENTED: Cider plus fruit that are fermented together
HIGH TANNIN – Dry- up to 2% RS Apple- only, focused on the specific apple used,. Ciders in this category are made primarily with bittersweet and/or bittersharp apples and the resulting cider has significant bittersweet/bittersharp characteristics and tannin content. Apples may include multi-use and cider-specific apples (such as Dabbinet, Chisel Jersey, Domaine, Frequin Rouge) resulting in higher tannin content. Please specify in the “adjunct or style descriptor” section the type of apple(s) used in the cider. This was the prior Heritage category. PLEASE NOTE IN THE DESCRIPTION SECTION WHAT TYPE OF APPLE(S) ARE USED.
HIGH TANNIN – Sweet – >2.0% RS Apple- only, focused on the specific apple used,. Ciders in this category are made primarily with bittersweet and/or bittersharp apples and the resulting cider has significant bittersweet/bittersharp characteristics and tannin content. Apples may include multi-use and cider-specific apples (such as Dabbinet, Chisel Jersey, Domaine, Frequin Rouge) resulting in higher tannin content.
HOPPED: Cider base that has hops added.
IMPERIAL CIDERS (Apple Only) – Ciders with higher-than-average alcohol content and bold flavors. Imperial ciders have an ABV of 8% or higher. Please note ABV in the description section.
IMPERIAL CIDERS (w/ Adjuncts) – Ciders with higher-than-average alcohol content infused or co-fermented with other flavors. Imperial ciders have an ABV of 8% or higher. Please note ABV in the description section.
MODERN – Dry — up to 2% RS: Apple only, focused on the specific apples, dessert/culinary or multi-purpose apples (such as Fuji, Newtown Pippin, McIntosh, Golden Russet, Braeburn, Jonathan). Resulting cider is fresh, high acid with little to no tannin.
MODERN – Sweet — >2.0% RS: Apple only, focused on the specific apples, dessert/culinary or multi-purpose apples (such as Fuji, Newtown Pippin, McInosh, Golden Russet). Resulting cider is fresh, high acid with little to no tannin.
NATURAL: Defined by spontaneous and/or malolactic fermentation, often with wild yeast, giving it a funky, rustic profile. Made with minimal intervention, these ciders may be still or sparkling and tend to have a more unpredictable, wild fermentation character. While inspired by the traditional Spanish Sidra-style ciders with wild yeast/bacterial characteristics, this category is intended for low-intervention ciders from any region and with any flavor profile.
NON-ALCOHOLIC / ALCOHOL-REMOVED: Cider that contains less than 0.5% ABV.
PERRY: 100% fermented pear, made from pear varieties grown specifically for perry production, as well as those made from culinary/table pears. Can be labeled as pear cider as long as it is exclusively pear juice. Blended pear and apple ciders go in the Fruit category.
PÉT NAT: The Pét Nat process achieves natural carbonation through fermentation rather than by infusing CO2. These ciders may undergo spontaneous or pitched fermentation but must be bottle-finished. They are made from apple and/or pear, with apples that may be dessert, culinary, or cider-specific.
ROSÉ (Red-Fleshed Varieties): Cider with a pinkish hue made heritage cider apples, including red-fleshed varieties. A cider may be pinkish in color and the cidermaker may choose not to use the rosé cider nomenclature, but all rosé ciders are pinkish in color. Ciders whose color is attributed to added ingredients should be entered into the category that represents that adjunct.
SINGLE VARIETAL: A showcase of one varietal; must be 80% varietal and apple only.
SPECIALTY: A catchall category for unique blends, a cider base infused with any specialty ingredients such as squash, coffee, rhubarb, New England-style, etc. Also including cysers.
SPICED: Cider base infused with any combination of spices or spicy vegetables, such as baking spices, habaneros, ginger, etc.
STONE FRUIT: Cider base infused or co-fermented with stone fruit, such as cherry, apricot, plum, etc.
TROPICAL: Cider based infused or co-fermented with ONLY tropical fruits such as dragon fruit, acai, pineapple, guava and papaya.
WOOD-AGED: a cider that has been aged in a wooden barrel after fermentation
