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2026 U.S. Open Cider Championship Medal Winners and Grand National Champion

Schilling Cider Wins 2026 U.S. Open Cider Championship as Canadian Entries Hit Record High Despite Import Ban
The 2026 U.S. Open Cider Championship was a truly international affair. Most of the competition’s international entries usually come from Great Britain and Canada, but this year, a Ukrainian cidery found a way to get seven of its ciders into the United States, and it went home with medals.Canada was a bigger story still. When the U.S. government banned Canadian alcoholic beverages, cider included, from entering the country this fall, organizers expected zero Canadian entries. Instead, the U.S. Open turned to Niagara College in Canada, its partner for 17 years. All Canadian entries were shipped to Niagara and judged in Canada. Canadian ciders went from zero to more than 20% of the field, the most Canadian entries in the 12-year history of the U.S. Open Cider Championship.
    
The first round of judging was held at the U.S. Open Event Center, better known as “The Barn,” in Oxford, Ohio. U.S. Open founder Dow Scoggins then personally drove the top three American ciders in each category, along with the Ukrainian entries, across the border to Niagara College for the final round. There, U.S. Open director and founding partner Jon Downing ran the final judging alongside Canadian brewers and cider makers.”When the border closed to Canadian cider, we weren’t going to leave those cider makers out,” said Scoggins. “If the Canadian ciders couldn’t come to us, we’d take the American ciders to them. My son Cam and I can’t wait to get these medals out to the winners.”
   
Grand National Champion: Schilling Cider
Schilling Cider of Seattle, Washington, is the 2026 Grand National Champion. Schilling won a record five gold medals, plus one silver and one bronze.
Runner-up: Thornbury Craft Co. (Ontario) — 3 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
Third place: Loch Mor Cider Company (Ontario) — 1 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze.
   
The 2026 Thumper Award: Ardiel Cider House
The Thumper Award is named in memory of Andy “Thumper” Rich, cider maker for Arsenal Cider House and the 2020 U.S. Open Cider Grand National Champion. Thumper, a pioneer in the craft cider and beer industries, passed away on December 5, 2023, at his home in Dormont, Pennsylvania, after a courageous battle with cancer.The Thumper Award is presented each year to the cider and cidery judged Best of Show. This year it goes to Ardiel Cider House of Ontario for its Ardiel Dry Apple Cider. The U.S. Open Cider Championship will also donate proceeds from this year’s competition to the National Brain Tumor Society in Thumper’s honor.

New This Year: The Directors Award
The new Directors Award goes to the U.S. Open directors’ favorite cider of the competition. The first Directors Award goes to Cherry Pie from Atlanta Hard Cider Co. & Distillery in Atlanta, Georgia.

Top 10(11) Cideries of the 2026 U.S. Open Cider Championship

1. Schilling Cider – Washington
2. Thornbury Craft Co. – Ontario
3. Loch Mor Cider Company – Ontario
4. Ciderboys Hard Cider Co. – Wisconsin
4. Country Boy Brewing – Kentucky
6. von Stiehl Winery • Distillery • Cidery – Wisconsin
7. Vala’s Orchard Cider Co. – Nebraska
8. Blake’s Beverage Co. – Michigan
9. Arsenal Cider House – Pennsylvania
9. Woodchuck Hard Cider – Vermont

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

2026 U.S. Open Cider Medal Winners

Modern Cider – Sweet
GOLD: Thornbury Craft Co. Premium Apple Cider – Thornbury Craft Co. – ON
SILVER: Ciderboys First Press – Ciderboys Hard Cider Co. – WI
BRONZE: McKenzie’s Hard Cider – Original – McKenzie’s Hard Cider – NY

Modern Cider – Dry
GOLD: Ardiel Dry Apple Cider – Ardiel Cider House – ON
SILVER: Yellow Belly YB Dry – Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly Cidery – MN
BRONZE: Traditional Hard Apple Cider – von Stiehl Winery • Distillery • Cidery – WI

Heritage Cider – Sweet
GOLD: Excelsior Imperial Apple – Schilling Cider – WA
SILVER: Never Say Never – Spy Cider House & Distillery – ON

Heritage Cider – Dry
GOLD: Excelsior Imperial Hyper-Dry – Schilling Cider – WA
SILVER: Harrison – Loch Mor Cider Company – ON
SILVER: Porters Perfection – Loch Mor Cider Company – ON
BRONZE: First Press – Doc Waters Cidery – MD

Traditional Cider – Sweet
GOLD: Country Boy Classic Hard Cider – Country Boy Brewing KY

Traditional Cider – Dry
GOLD: Harry Masters Jersey – Loch Mor Cider Company – ON
SILVER: Kingston Black – Loch Mor Cider Company – ON
BRONZE: Blush – Loch Mor Cider Company – ON

Perry
GOLD: Ciderboys Pear Naked – Ciderboys Hard Cider Co. – WI
SILVER: Ardiel Dry Pear Cider – Ardiel Cider House – ON
BRONZE: Lady Kay Perry – Doc Waters Cidery – MD

Fruit Cider
GOLD: Thornbury Craft Co. Oktoberfest Apple Cider – Thornbury Craft Co. – ON
GOLD: MONBAR Apple–Apricot – LLC “KRAFT DRINKS OF ZAKARPATIA” – Ukraine
SILVER: American Pear – Blake’s Beverage Co. – MI
BRONZE: Beachside Bliss – Burl Brew – KY

Fruit and Berry Cider
GOLD: Keep It Wild: Black Currant – Schilling Cider – WA
SILVER: Imperial Huckleberry – Starfall Cider Co – WA
BRONZE: The Rural Berry – Oak Tree Orchard – PA

Pineapple Cider
GOLD: Piper’s Pineapple – Cide Chicks Cider Company – TN
SILVER: Inside the Orchard – Pineapple Inside The Five Brewing Company – OH
BRONZE: Pineapple – Woodchuck Hard Cider – Vermont

Cherry Cider
GOLD: Cherry Pie – Atlanta Hard Cider Co. & Distillery, Inc. – GA
SILVER: NC Craft Cherry Cider – Niagara College Teaching Winery – ON
BRONZE: Cherry Hard Cider – von Stiehl Winery • Distillery • Cidery – WI

Peach Cider
GOLD: Yuzu Peach – Schilling Cider – WA
SILVER: ACE IMPERIAL PEACH – ACE CIDER I, LLC – CA
BRONZE: Peach & Strawberry Cider – Sons of Toil Brewing, LLC – OH

Cranberry Cider
GOLD: Thornbury Craft Co. Cranberry Apple Cider – Thornbury Craft Co. – ON
SILVER: Country Boy Cranberry Cider – Country Boy Brewing – KY

Blackberry
GOLD: How Bout Dem Apples – Blackberry Missing Falls Brewery – OH
SILVER: Blackberry – Blake’s Beverage – MI
BRONZE: Excelsior Imperial Blackberry – Schilling Cider – WA

Blueberry
GOLD: Blueberry – Woodchuck Hard Cider – Vermont
SILVER: Thornbury Craft Co. Wild Blueberry Elderflower Apple Cider – Thornbury Craft Co. – ON
BRONZE: Blueberry Cream Hard Cider – von Stiehl Winery • Distillery • Cidery – WI

Raspberry
GOLD: Country Boy Raspberry Lemon Cider – Country Boy Brewing – KY
GOLD: Red Raspberry Cider – Sons of Toil Brewing – OH
SILVER: Raspberry Tea – Slabtown Cider – ON
BRONZE: Thornbury Craft Co. Raspberry Apple Cider – Thornbury Craft Co. – ON

Strawberry
GOLD: Ciderboys Strawberry Magic – Ciderboys Hard Cider Co. – WI
GOLD: Strawbeary Rhube Awakening – Schilling Cider – WA
SILVER: Stevie’s Strawberry Lime – Cide Chicks Cider Company – TN
BRONZE: Babe Magnet – Diskin Cider – TN

Herbal Cider
GOLD: Hibiscus Haze – Bigfoot Cider Co – OR
GOLD: Royal Tea – Spy Cider House & Distillery – ON
SILVER: Sip Society: Elderberry Pear – Schilling Cider – WA
BRONZE: Elderbloom – Bucktail Cider Company – PA
BRONZE: MONBAR Apple–Elderflower – LLC “KRAFT DRINKS OF ZAKARPATIA” – Ukraine

Hopped Cider
GOLD: Imperial Hazy Honeycrisp – Starfall Cider Co – WA
SILVER: Hoppy Blueberry – Vala’s Orchard Cider Co. – NE
BRONZE: Ardiel Lightly Hopped Apple Cider – Ardiel Cider House – ON

Apple Pie Spiced Cider
GOLD: Apple Pie – Cider Corps – AZ
SILVER: Spiced Apple Cider – Sons of Toil Brewing, LLC – OH
BRONZE: Snowbound Cinnamon – Arsenal Cider House – PA

Pumpkin
GOLD: Pumpkin Jack – McKenzie’s Hard Cider – NY
SILVER: ACE PUMPKIN CRAFT CIDER – ACE CIDER – CA
BRONZE: Grant’s Flying Pumpkin – Arsenal Cider House – PA
BRONZE: Harvest Pumpkin – Vala’s Orchard Cider Co. – NE

Spiced Cider
GOLD: Nice Rack – Diskin Cider – Tennessee
SILVER: Yellow Belly Cayenne Cider – Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly Cidery – MN
BRONZE: Pear Ginger – Woodchuck Hard Cider – Vermont

Wood-Aged Cider
GOLD: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Hard Apple Cider – von Stiehl Winery • Distillery • Cidery – WI
SILVER: Bourbon Barrel Apple Pie – Cider Corps – AZ
BRONZE: Whisky Tango – Spy Cider House & Distillery – ON

Specialty Cider
GOLD: Shiro Plum – Blake’s Beverage Co. – MI
SILVER: Brandy Old Fashioned Hard Cider – von Stiehl Winery • Distillery • Cidery – WI
BRONZE: Picket Bone Dry – Arsenal Cider House – PA

Anything Goes
GOLD: Spicy Archibald – Pineapple Arsenal Cider House – PA
SILVER: Honey Habanero – Slabtown Cider – ON
BRONZE: The Apricot Hop – Oak Tree Orchard – PA
BRONZE: Hazy Orange – Woodchuck Hard Cider – Vermont

Single Varietal
GOLD: Golden Russet – Doc Waters Cidery – MD
SILVER: 2024 Goldrush Dry – Vala’s Orchard Cider Co. – NE
BRONZE: Thornbury Craft Co. – Honeycrisp Apple Cider – Thornbury Craft Co. – ON

Rose’ Cider
GOLD: Raspberry Rose – Vala’s Orchard Cider Co.
SILVER: Rosé Cider – New Realm Brewing Co. – GA