We are now accepting submissions for the 2019 Cidercraft Magazine Awards issue! Out in December, this third-annual issue will feature our judging panel’s top picks for cider and will announce the winners in print to more than 100,000 readers.

The Cidercraft Awards are open to all commercially produced ciders across the globe pertaining to the set submission categories.

The top four winning submissions of each category will be awarded medals (double gold, gold, silver and bronze), as well as three Judge’s Picks from our panel, creating the ultimate cider shopping guide for readers when the print issue is released in December. Plus, the issue will cover industry leaders, trends, restaurants, bars and products.

The ciders will be tasted blind, with a panel comprised of leading cider palates, judges and professionals, whose verdict we will relay onto the pages of the issue. Our goal is to provide our readers with unique and original content pertaining to the best of global cider and create an overall greater consumer awareness and appreciation of the continent’s oldest beverage.

If you are interested in submitting your cider to our blind tasting panel, please use the following rules for entry:

1. Submission receiving deadline is Friday, October 4.
2. Cost of entry is $60 USD for each individual product submission. Payment is accepted by check at the address listed below, or credit card online by clicking HERE (or by copying the link below into your browser*) The applicable fees must be paid with submission to be entered in the judging.
3. Please fill out the linked submission form HERE (or by copying the link below directly into your browser**).
4. Each form provides for up to five (5) submissions. If you are submitting more than five (5) products, submit one form and start a second (or third) until you are finished. The submission will not be entered in the judging if the form is not completed online.
5. Send four (4) samples of each submission for 500ml or less, two (2) samples for 22oz or 750ml bottles, or one (1)  For the dessert/fortified category, send two (2) samples.
6. If a cider can apply to more than one category, it is allowable to submit it into both as individual submissions. If a single category is preferred, select the category in which the cider’s dominant characteristics would best fit.
7. Pricing is based on suggested retail price for the full unit. If the cider only comes in 4-packs, please provide that price for the entire unit.

*Credit card payment link: https://cidercraftmag.com/product/cidercraft-awards/
**Submission form link: https://tinyurl.com/CidercraftAwards2019

 THE CATEGORIES* ARE:

1. HERITAGE: Focused on the specific apple used, Old World-influenced. Typically made with multi-use apples (such as Russets, Baldwin, Gravenstein) or cider-specific fruit, resulting higher in tannin and acid. Fermented slower, typically three or more months. Also including keeved ciders.
2. MODERN: Can be focused on specific apples, although usually with culinary/table apples; fresh, New World-style. Faster ferment, typically one month or less.
3. 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.
4. SINGLE VARIETAL: A showcase of one varietal; must be 80% varietal.
5. ROSÉ: Cider with a pinkish hue, both made with heritage cider apples, including red-fleshed varieties, and made with culinary apples made pink with added adjuncts (such as berries, hibiscus). 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.
6. STILL: Cider without any carbonation, natural or forced.
7. SOUR: Ciders made intentionally sour using non-standard yeast and/or bacterial fermentation; including sidra and sidra-style.
8. STONE FRUIT: Cider base infused or co-fermented with stone fruit, such as cherry, apricot, plum, etc.
9. FRUIT: Cider base infused or co-fermented with other fruits, such as pear, berry, tropical fruit, etc.
10. HOPPED: Cider base that has hops added.
11. WOOD-AGED: Ciders aged in or with wood, such as barrels, oak cubes, chips, staves, etc.
12. SPICED: Cider base infused with any combination of spices or spicy vegetables, such as baking spices, habaneros, ginger, etc.
13. BOTANICAL: Cider base infused with any combination of herbs, nectars, leaves, tea, etc.
14. 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.
15. DESSERT/FORTIFIED: Ice cider, late harvest, pommeau-style or other styles with spirits added.

*Though unlikely for most, all categories are subject to change if submissions are too low or too high. In the case of lower submissions, cider would be merged into an appropriately fitting category; for higher submissions, a category of its own would be created.

SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Carefully package all glass-format ciders, especially growlers, as shipping companies are not always gentle.
2. Please do not use packing peanuts or popcorn.
3. Ship all entries and check payments to the following address:

Seattle Wine Storage
Attn:  Cidercraft Magazine / Melissa Miller
9401 Aurora Ave N
Lower Level, Building 1
Seattle, WA 98103

For in-person delivery, please email [email protected].

Cidercraft magazine is an award-winning publication exclusively covering the international phenomenon of cider and its thriving culture. Please join us in finding the best of the year to highlight and showcase in this issue. See last year’s winners here. Thank you!