FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Private judging and competition hosted by Northwest Cider Association, combined with a one-day tasting festival with 30+ ciders on tap!
SEATTLE (April 13, 2015) – Pacific Northwest Cider Awards (PNWCA) is pleased to announce the second annual cider competition and public tasting event, taking place June 5 & 6, 2015! Presented by the Northwest Cider Association, sponsored by Seattle Cider Company and Capitol Cider, PNWCA is comprised of a private judging and competition, followed by one-day festival to be held at The Woods tasting room in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood. With more than 40 cideries participating and 30+ ciders on tap, PNWCA is intended to raise awareness for the amazing ciders being produced throughout the region and offer an easy way for the public to explore the world of cider.
“The Pacific Northwest has proven to be one of the most up-and-coming cider regions in the world,” said Sherrye Wyatt, director of the Northwest Cider Association. “As the industry continues to grow and change, its important to recognize cidermakers for their amazing work. The PNWCA does just that and we look forward to growing the competition for years to come.”
The private judging will take place on Friday, June 5 at Capitol Cider in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Judging will be comprised of 14 cider categories, developed by the PNWCA planning committee. Each cider will be judged on attributes including clarity, aroma, mouthfeel and overall impression. In addition to awards for each individual category, the gold medal winner of each category will go on to compete in a “Best in Show” judging round. Winners of the private judging will be announced the morning of Saturday, June 6 at PNWCA.com and via PNWCA social media.
“While we enjoyed getting the PNWCA up and running, we’re thrilled to turn over the judging to the Northwest Cider Association this year,” said Joel VandenBrink, founder of Seattle Cider Company. “Comprised of leaders from our local industry, they will do a phenomenal job helping grow the PNWCA into one of the leading cider competitions in the industry and across the country.”
As a complement to the private judging, a one-day festival will be held Saturday, June 6 at Seattle Cider Company’s tasting room, The Woods, in SoDo (4700 Ohio Ave S). Open to the public, this festival will feature an estimated 30+ ciders on tap, giving cider lovers the chance to enjoy specialty and limited edition ciders from producers throughout Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and British Columbia. Additionally, as part of the festival, each ticket purchased will be accompanied by a voting slip, allowing for one vote per purchase. The cider with the most votes at the end of the festival will be awarded the People Choice Award, to be announced Monday, June 8 via PNWCA.com and PNWCA social media.
The Woods will be open Saturday, June 6 from 1-10pm for the event, with food available from popular food truck Bread & Circuses. Tickets will be available online through Brown Paper Tickets beginning May 1 for $20, or $25 at the door. Each ticket receives tokens for eight 5-ounce pours, with additional tokens available for purchase. Representatives from participating cideries will be present at various times throughout the event to share their ciders and information about their cideries. Additional festival details, including a list of ciders to be poured, will be released as the date nears.
Cideries interested in participating must be members of the Northwest Cider Association, encompassing Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho and British Columbia. For more information on registration, fees, sample submission and more, cideries are encouraged to visit www.pnwca.com/enteryourcider. Intent to participate is due April 29, with cider samples needed by May 20.
For more information, visit www.pnwca.com or email register@pnwca.com. Also, be sure to follow PNWCA on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news and events!
All media related inquires should be sent to Sherrye Wyatt at sherrye@nwcider.com or Caitlin Braam at caitlin@seattlecidercompany.com. All other PNWCA-related inquires should be sent to register@pnwca.com.
About PNWCA Pacific Northwest Cider Awards is comprised of a one-day private judging, followed by a three-day festival to be held at The Woods tasting room in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood. With more than 20 cideries participating and nearly 25 ciders on tap, the PNWCA and its corresponding events were created with the intention of raising awareness for the amazing ciders being produced throughout Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and British Columbia. Through the PNWCA, we hope to continue to raise awareness for the unique and spectacular ciders being produced while helping to make them more accessible to the public. Cider lovers and producers are encouraged to learn more by visiting PNWCA.com, or following PNWCA on Facebook and Twitter.
Media Contacts:
Sherrye Wyatt
Northwest Cider Association
sherrye@nwcider.com
Caitlin Braam
Seattle Cider Company
caitlin@seattlecidercompany.com