2025 ACA Award Recipients
The American Cider Association (ACA) Awards presented at CiderCon® 2025 shine a spotlight on the exceptional contributions within the cider community, celebrating those who have played pivotal roles in advancing the industry. The awards are divided into two distinct categories: Member Awards and Board Awards. The Member Awards reflect the collective gratitude of the ACA members, honoring partners in the beverage community who have been instrumental in introducing cider to new audiences. Meanwhile, the Board Awards recognize visionary leaders whose efforts have significantly propelled the U.S. cider industry forward. Together, these awards acknowledge the dedication, innovation, and passion that continue to drive the cider industry to new heights.
Member Awards
- Best Cider Retailer:
- East: Boutique Wines & Spirits – Fishkill, NY
- Midwest: Total Wine – Indianapolis, IN
- Mountain West: Central Market of Texas
- Northwest: TeKu Tavern, Seattle, WA
- Pacific Coast: Redfield Cider Bar & Bottle Shop – Oakland, CA
- South: Corks & Kegs – Richmond, VA
- Best Cider Focused Establishment
- East: Mullers Cider House – Rochester, NY
- Midwest: Bitter Pops – Chicago, IL
- Mountain West: JL Beers, Sioux Falls, SD
- Northwest: Cider & Cedar, Tacoma, WA
- Pacific Coast: Alma’s Cider & Beer – Los Angeles, CA
- South: Church Key, Washington D.C.
- Best Cider Distributor
- East: Craft Collective Homegrown, Bellingham, MA
- Midwest: New France Wine Company, St. Paul, MN
- Mountain West: Johnson Brothers of North Dakota, Fargo, ND
- Northwest: Dickerson Distributors, Bellingham, WA
- Pacific Coast: Lime Ventures, Concord, CA
- South: Virginia Eagle Distributing, VA
- Individual Excellence in Cider Hospitality
- East: Khris Hogg, Circumstance, Swanville, Maine
- Midwest: Gabriela Muñoz – Keepsake Cidery, Dundas, MN
- Northwest: David Damjanovic – The Place, Portland, OR
- Pacific Coast: Jessica Olson-Ealy and Rick Tranchina, Pomme Cider Shop, Sonoma, CA
- South: Zach Carlson – Sage Bird Ciderworks, Harrisonburg, VA
Board Awards
- Apple Advocate of the Year:
- William Mullan – For elevating the appreciation of the diversity of apples through his photography.
- Kristin Richard – For elevating the apple in wine media (example here).
- Excellence in Leadership in the Industry
- Aaron Sarnoff-Wood, 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Corvallis, OR for his tireless advocacy against neo-prohibition in Oregon.
- Significant Impact on the Industry
- Amy Stinson – Vermont Cider Company – For her legacy work to pass the CIDER Act.
- Scott Ramsey – New York Cider Association – For his inspiring work to grow the New York Cider community, and his advocacy of S.2852A/A.3132A allowing direct to consumer shipping of cider in New York.
- Member Appreciation Award
- Benny Boy Brewing & Cider House – Los Angeles, CA: for being a champion of cider education and advocating for cider within the craft beverage community.
- Nine Pin Cider Works – Albany, NY: For their active participation in state and federal advocacy.
Congratulations to all of this year’s award winners!