On Friday I was one of the judges at the second annual PNW Cider Awards, wherein 145 ciders from 38 cideries across British Columbia to Montana vied for medals and eternal glory.

The Best in Show went to a cider by Wandering Aengus out of Salem, Oregon. And I'm still partial to any creation from Sea Cider up in BC. But, much like the Washington Beer Awards, the list below serves as an excellent checklist, or maybe a road map to better acquaintance with the cider industry that's bloomed in Washington of late. As the categories below suggest, there's a cider out there for drinkers who like things light and fruity, deeply funky, or dry as a British comedy. Washington cideries are in bold.

Modern Dry

Gold: 2 Towns Ciderhouse BrightCider
Silver: Cascadia Ciderworkers United Dry
Bronze: Grizzly Ciderworks The Ridge  

Modern Sweet

Gold: Cockrell Hard Cider Original
Gold: Anthem Cider
Bronze: Spire Mountain Cider Red Apple 

Traditional Dry

Gold: Left Field Cider Co. Little Dry
Silver: Twisted Hills Craft Cider Kingston's Fate
Bronze: Seattle Cider Company Washington Heirloom 2014
Bronze: Sea Cider Ciderhouse Kings and Spies  

Traditional Sweet

Gold: Wandering Aengus Ciderworks Bloom
Silver: Twisted Hills Craft Cider Calville's Winter
Bronze: 2 Towns Ciderhouse 2013 Riverwood 

Modern Perry

Gold: Left Field Cider Co. Pear Dry
Silver: Nashi Orchards Chojuro Asian Pear Perry
Bronze: Spire Mountain Ciders Sparkling Pear 

Traditional Perry

Gold: Tieton Cider Works Sparkling Perry  

Old World 

Gold: Reverend Nat's Hard Cider Lorrie's Gold
Silver: Sea Cider Ciderhouse Bittersweet
Silver: Liberty Ciderworks English Style 

Ginger

Gold: Apple Outlaw Ginger Bite
Silver: Sixknot Cider Gingerella
Bronze: 2 Towns Ciderhouse Ginja Ninja  

Wood Aged

Gold: Finnriver Farm and Ciderhouse Fire Barrel
Gold: Sea Cider Ciderhouse Prohibition  
Bronze: Tieton Cider Works Cidermaker's Reserve  

Fruit

Gold: Blue Mountain Cider Company Peach Hard Apple Cider
Silver: Honey Moon Raspberry CiderHead
Bronze: Sea Cider Ciderhouse Bramble Bubbly  

Spice/Herb

Gold: Honey Moon Rhubarb CiderHead
Silver: Seattle Cider Company Three Pepper
Bronze: 2 Towns Ciderhouse Cherried Away 

Hopped

Gold: Square Mile Cider Co. Spur and Vine Hopped
Silver: Finnriver Farm and Ciderhouse Dry Hopped
Silver: Swift Cider Dank Hop  

Single Varietal 

Gold: Nashi Orchards Mountain Rose
Gold: Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse Pippins
Bronze: Reverend Nat's Hard Cider Revelation Newtown Pippin  

Specialty 

Gold: Spire Mountain Ciders Dark and Dry Apple
Silver: Red Tank Chops!
Bronze: Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse Wild English 

BEST IN SHOW:

Wandering Aengus Ciderworks Bloom