GLINTCAP- A Judges Perspective

By: Casey Simpson

The Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition, colloquially referred to as
GLINTCAP is the world’s largest cider competition. Hosted in Grand Rapids by the Michigan Cider Association and held every May, this event brings together over 50 judges from across the continent and beyond, as well as many experienced stewards and cider education leaders.

I was honored to be selected as a judge for the second time this year, the first being in 2023, after earning my Certified Pommelier™ that February. I was a Cidermaker and Operations Manager at Artifact Cider Project for 5 years from
2019 to 2024. Although I have been out of the industry for 2 years now, I remain a self-proclaimed cider cowboy, or just a Cider Enthusiast according to my ACA Membership. I continue to stay involved with (Franklin County) Cider Days, CiderCon®, and Maine Apple Camp, while being a big advocate for the ACA’s Certification Programs. I sat for the BJCP Cider Judge exam (results still pending) and plan to remain active for the foreseeable future.

GLINTCAP is a great opportunity to take in those little morsels and bits that I value most from these gatherings – deep, rich, personal conversations with a bunch of apple nerds who are also just nice people. The judge and steward volunteers were orchardists, cidermakers, enthusiasts, and educators. I met several new people, friends of friends, and experts in the field. Being passionate about the community and having an opportunity like this was pretty neat, especially when those who were there felt the same way. This year was even more special, as it marked the 20th anniversary of GLINTCAP. I was excited to be back, and I had a darn good time.

Day 1 Wednesday: I got a big hug right out the gate from Michelle Pagano and we
grabbed an Uber together from the airport to the hotel. The rooms weren’t quite ready by the time we arrived at the Embassy Suites, the headquarters for most GLINTCAP events, so we grabbed lunch at Big E’s next door and started to see our cider friends roll in.

The big Welcome and Judges’ Calibration started at 4 pm. We learned how to use the digital judging platform BAP from emcee Ambrosia “Browie” Borowski. After that, Cider Institute’s Steven Trussler shared a presentation breaking down the psychological aspects of sensory analysis, along with some tips for judging, and Brighid O’Keane prepped us for a self-guided fault workshop to sharpen our skills.

That evening, Vander Mill kindly hosted a kickoff social for all volunteers, featuring food and a bottle share in their stunning cellar space. There was an extra special stop featuring pours from Patrick McCauley, who was again honored as the Non-Commercial Cider Maker of the Year. I had a funny connection when my driver mentioned his good friend in Japan, a fellow Certified Pommelier™, Lee Reeve. Small world.

Day 2 Thursday: The Embassy Suites offered a full breakfast, so I made it downstairs
early to have my coffee with enough time to allow my palate to recalibrate for the 8 am start. Judges were stirring and eagerly awaiting for the first round assignments to pop up on the QR code. Right off the bat, I was judging Modern Cider with Kari Williams from Snow Capped Cider and Steve Selin from South Hill Cider. (How cool is that?) Second round was Fruit Cider, third – Specialty Cider and Perry, and fourth – Unlimited Cider and Perry. Tasted through many wonderful delights and got taken all over the map on aroma and tasting notes.

Four rounds in one day was a lot of discourse and typing concise but thorough notes in BAP, yet satisfying. The evening was open for exploring Cider Week GR. A crew and I went closer towards downtown and ended up at Max’s Seaside Hideaway, then visited Charlie Burt at the Anxo pop-up held at The Pyramid Scheme. We played pinball (oh boy, were those games short) and sipped on ciders before heading back to the hotel. One aspect of cider events is the tendency for the night to slip into what is lovingly called lobby-con. Some of the best ciders I have ever tried have been at these informal mini-salons. But alas, there was still judging to be
done, so I called it at midnight to get a solid sleep for the next day.

Day 3, Friday: I woke up wide awake and ready to go, so I hit the gym. For me,
squeezing in some light cardio is a great way to clear my head and get a fresh start to the day. I ate some breakfast, then arrived for a 9 am start for round 5 judging – a knock-out round in preparation for the Best in Shows.
Lunch was a delightful boxed sandwich, chips, an apple, and a sweet treat, and included talks from three special guest judges. Abram Goldman-Armstrong presented his decades-long cider journey from Portland, Oregon to Alde Sider in Norway. Edu Coto and Tano Collada Salvador shared about the long running cider tradition in Asturias and modeling competitions abroad based on GLINTCAP. Although the takeaway was supposed to be how countries can learn from
and inspire each other, I think everyone in the room immediately just wanted to organize a trip to Norway and northern Spain to experience that for themselves.

The sixth round was the Best in Shows. I was at the table for Fruit Cider Dry. Since
medals had already been decided, Best in Show was an elimination round, so the table of judges was only looking for 3 ciders: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The process can be quick and clear or quite long and contentious. This was perhaps when it was most imperative for the judges’ tables to work together to reach a consensus. The sun came out just in time for all the volunteers to head out to the patio and sample the Gold medal bottles. Some makers were quickly running, bin to bin, spinning the labels to see if any were submissions. Most just poured, sipped, and debriefed the day’s excitement.

The Awards Celebration was downtown at Elevation. Since it was about as ideal of a
Spring evening as it gets, I walked the mile down with a few others, taking in the sun rays and city sights along the river. People from all over the area were converging downtown to see a host of sold-out concerts, including Lionel Richie at the amphitheater. So many smiling people, enjoying the day. At the Awards venue, some volunteers arrived after changing into a bit fancier attire. There was an open bar with an assortment of finger foods, as attendees milled around in anticipation of the unveiling of “Best in Class” and “Producers of the Year”. Cider Brian Rutzen
and Browie emceed the event, and there was a lot of clapping and joy as folks from all over cheered on each other. As the night wound down, attendees headed into the city, gradually making their way back to the hotel. A group and I stopped for food and a drink at a hip bar, which may have had the most elaborate bathroom graffiti I have ever seen. By the time we returned, Lobbycon was in full swing. Tired from a whirlwind three days, I said a few quiet goodbyes and snuck away to bed.

Cider events feel amorphous at times. It’s not so much a goodbye, but a pause until next time, the next vortex, where a rotating cast of these passionate humans are plopped back into the same place and do it all again, then boop, disappear. There’s something special about cider friends, though. This shared unique experience, which prompts good times and memories, is also a kind of pep rally and reignites that enthusiasm to take back home. It’s intense and condensed, but feels warm and feeds the soul. At some point, that’s the part that went well beyond just cider
for me and the reason I keep coming back: it’s for the people. Each event reconfirms to me that I just love being a part of the cider community.

Happy 20-year anniversary, GLINTCAP! To many, many more.