CORVALLIS & GERVAIS, Ore., Jun 2, 2026 — Oregon cider took center stage at the 2026 International Cider Awards, where 2 Towns Ciderhouse and Bauman's Cider earned top international honors in one of the cider industry’s most respected and technically rigorous competitions.
Together, the two Oregon cideries earned six Gold medals, one Silver, and one Bronze, including a sweep of both Gold medals awarded in the competition’s tannin-driven cider classes - traditional styles long associated with English cidermaking.
Additionally, Bauman’s Cider was named Best Cider Mill, with Endless Harvest also taking The International Classic Cider Competition Trophy. “The Trophy Winners represent the very highest standard of brewing and cidermaking from this year’s competition. Each has already achieved Gold Medal status, so to be selected as a Trophy Winner is a remarkable achievement. These awards are judged by industry professionals and are recognised around the world as a true mark of excellence,” says Ruth Evans, Director of the International Brewing & Cider Awards.
For many in the cider industry, the competition represents one of the highest benchmarks in traditional cider making.
The International Cider Awards is part of a world-renowned program with roots dating to 1886 judged exclusively by working cidermakers and technical experts through a multi-round evaluation process emphasizing discussion, consensus, and technical merit. One of the judges includes Oregon’s own Christine Bauman Walter of Bauman’s Cider.
“Serving as a judge for an International competition of this caliber exposes us to such a wide body of cider-making styles and skills,” says Walter. “We see the finest traditional cider making as well as the leading edge of innovation across the category. This is my third time judging and the other makers on the panel are as inspiring as the ciders we are analyzing, not to mention the richness of the sharing and collaboration that arises from the week.”
Results:
2 Towns Ciderhouse earned Gold medals for:
• 2025 Kingston Black Single Varietal — Tannin Driven Cider Class 1.2 • 14th Anniversary — Class 2.2
Bauman’s Cider earned Gold medals for:
• Kingston Black SV — Tannin Driven Cider Class 1.1 • Endless Harvest — Naturally Sparkling Cider Class 3.2 • Loganberry Cider — Fruit Flavoured Cider – Berries
Bauman’s also earned Silver for Mountain Rose SV and Bronze for McIntosh SV.
Most notably, both Oregon cideries earned Gold in the competition’s tannin-driven categories, a major achievement in cider styles deeply rooted in English tradition and built around specialized cider apple varieties prized for structure, balance, and complexity.
“Kingston Black is one of the great traditional cider apples, with deep roots in English cidermaking history,” said Dave Takush. “To plant those trees in Oregon more than a decade ago, watch them mature on my family’s orchard, and now see that fruit recognized in England, where these cider traditions began centuries ago, feels incredibly meaningful. It speaks not only to the quality of fruit we can grow here in the Pacific Northwest, but also to how far cider in Oregon has come.”
Once considered primarily the domain of historic European cider regions, traditional cider apple varieties are now being cultivated extensively throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. The results at this year’s International Cider Awards reflect the growing global recognition of the region’s orchards, fruit quality, and cidermaking expertise.
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