Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse
Thomas from Sea Cider
Thomas from Sea Cider with the PICC cup.
Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse from Saanich recently took home the top honour from the Portland International Cider Cup (PICC).
The acclaimed cidery’s estate-grown cider, Bittersweet, was named Best of Show at this year’s awards by the Northwest Cider Association (NWCA) in Portland.
“We’re judging one of the most prestigious apple-growing regions, and a place that puts a high value on craft culture. These awards are big,” says Emily Ritchie, Executive Director of the Northwest Cider Association. NWCA is a non-profit supporting cidermakers in four Northwest states and British Columbia, an area recognized as one of the most innovative cider regions in the United States and Canada.
The Pacific Northwest is home to 150 orchard-based, small, independent, and mid-sized makers, and the eighth annual Portland International Cider Cup is the region’s premier judged competition.
“Makers rely on this event for critical peer review, not to mention bar, restaurant and retail buyers who use these results for curating their cider selections,” says Ritchie.
Dozens of ciders were entered in the competition, but only about a quarter won medals. The ciders that won gold then went on to compete in the Best of Show round, where the judge named Bittersweet to be the overall winner.
“We are thrilled that once again Bittersweet has been awarded Best of Show at PICC,” said Kristen Needham, owner and cidermaster at Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse.