Congratulations to the 2026 World Beer Cup® Cider Winners!

The American Cider Association extends its congratulations to all of this year’s cider medalists recognized at the 2026 World Beer Cup® in Philadelphia. We’re proud to see cider represented on one of the industry’s biggest craft beverage stages and celebrate the producers continuing to raise the bar for quality and innovation.

Often referred to as the “Olympics of Beer,” the World Beer Cup has grown into one of the most respected beverage competitions in the world since its launch in 1996. Organized by the Brewers Association, the competition brings together thousands of entries from producers across the globe, recognizing excellence in brewing and fermentation through a rigorous blind judging process. While beer remains the centerpiece of the competition, cider categories have become an increasingly important showcase for the quality, creativity, and technical skill emerging from today’s cider industry.

This year’s winners reflect the remarkable diversity of cider, including the whole spectrum of tanninic expression and several innovative fruit-forward and specialty styles. Recognition at the World Beer Cup® not only highlights individual achievement, but also helps elevate cider’s visibility within the broader beverage alcohol landscape.

The ACA applauds all of the cideries that submitted entries this year and extends special congratulations to the medalists listed below.

Tannic Cider – 14 Entries 

• Gold: Classic Dry, Gowan’s Heirloom Cider, Philo, CA 

• Silver: 1876, Gowan’s Heirloom Cider, Philo, CA 

• Bronze: Excelsior Imperial Apple, Schilling Cider, Auburn, WA Category: 

No/Low-Tannin Cider – 39 Entries 

• Gold: Gravenstein, Gowan’s Heirloom Cider, Philo, CA 

• Silver: Cosmic Crisp, 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Corvallis, OR 

• Bronze: BrightCider, 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Corvallis, OR 

Fruited Cider – 52 Entries 

• Gold: Moon Berries, Schilling Cider, Auburn, WA 

• Silver: Excelsior Imperial Blackberry, Schilling Cider, Auburn, WA 

• Bronze: Small Batch Guava, Coronado Brewing Co., San Diego, CA 

Botanical or Spiced Cider – 24 Entries 

• Gold: Spiced Apple, Gowan’s Heirloom Cider, Philo, CA 

• Silver: Basil Mint, Seattle Cider Co., Seattle, WA 

• Bronze: Ginger Cider, Hard Candy Cider, Nanjing, China 

Experimental, Barrel-Aged or Specialty Cider – 14 Entries 

• Gold: The Bad Apple, 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Corvallis, OR 

• Silver: Mango Habanero, Papa Moon Ciders, Scottsbluff, NE 

• Bronze: BA Cider, Mojave Brewing Co., Henderson, NV