Food & Drink
Thirteen Washington Cideries Win Awards
Empyrical Orchard & Cidery took home five awards, including two gold medals
By Seattle Mag July 3, 2025

Empyrical Orchard & Cidery was the big winner in the 12th-annual Northwest Cup Cider Awards, taking home two gold medals, one silver, and two bronzes.
The Snohomish County cidery — which launched three years ago — also won for small cidery of the year. Olympic Bluffs Cidery in Port Angeles won the new cidery of the year award.
Schilling Cider House and Greenwood Cider Co. — both of Seattle — were the other two Washington cideries to capture gold awards. Schilling took home a bronze as well.
All told, 13 Washington state cideries won 21 awards in a variety of styles, including high-tannin perries; wood/oaked; single varietal; and specialty fortified. Nine were silver and eight were bronze. The competition involved 231 entries from Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and British Columbia. Only 25% of the cideries that entered won.
Washington has more than 100 cideries across the state, according to the Northwest Cider Association, and is the nation’s top producer of apples. The annual economic impact of cider in the state is estimated at $300 million.
Besides Empyrical and Schilling, cideries winning multiple awards were Puget Sound Cider Co. (Renton); Finnriver Farm & Cidery (Chimacum); and Rootwood Cider Co. in Manson.
A complete list of winners can be found here.