2.6 C
Niagara Falls
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Niagara College wins two gold medals, ranked #3 at the U.S. Open Cider Championship

Niagara College took home two gold medals and was placed third in the international U.S. Open Cider Championship.

The final round of the sixth annual competition, which had more than 300 entries in 24 different categories, was held in Buffalo, New York.

The college’s Cider 101 earned gold medal among the Modern Dry Cider category, while the college’s Brut Cider won first place in the Brut Cider category.

Niagara College also made it to the Top 10 Most Creative Cider Names for its “Peach Better Have My Honey Cider.”

Nebraska’s Glacial Till Vineyard and Winery was named Grand National Champion for winning three gold medals, according to the competition’s website. The winner’s award-winning ciders were Original Cider, Passion Pineapple Cider and Hibiscus Ginger Cider.

Barrie’s Heritage Estate Winery and Cidery was ranked second, while Niagara College Teaching Cidery and Wisconsin’s Ciderboys tied for the third place.

“It’s truly amazing when a college can be only one of two cideries to win two gold medals at the U.S. Open Cider Championship, the second largest cider competition in North America,” championship’s director Dow Scoggins said in a statement.

“Also, what is equally amazing is that Niagara College's Cider 101 is the only cider to win three gold medals at the U.S. Open.”

In its fourth year of participation, the college’s Cider 101 also won a gold medal in 2017 and 2016. The cider, made from locally-grown apples, has 5.5 per cent of alcohol by volume, according to the college's media statement.

The Brut Cider, which was released last summer, participated in the Open Cider competition for the first time. The cider is made from Russet apples and is naturally carbonated and bottle-fermented with 9 per cent of alcohol by volume.

“This recognition validates the high-quality of the ciders we take pride in creating, whether it’s our consistently award-winning Cider 101 or our single batch Brut Cider,” college winemaker Gavin Robertson said in a statement.

Niagara College Teaching Winery first introduced Cider 101 in 2015. The college has also been releasing its Single Batch Cider Series since 2017.

Cider 101 and singe batch ciders can be purchased at the Wine Visitor and Education Centre retail store at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus (formerly NOTL campus) at 135 Taylor Road.

Subscribe to our mailing list