Schilling Cider Wins 2026 U.S. Open Cider Championship as Canadian Entries Hit Record High Despite Import Ban
November 11, 2026 (Oxford, OH) — The 2026 U.S. Open Cider Championship was a truly international affair. Most of the competition’s international entries usually come from Great Britain and Canada, but this year, a Ukrainian cidery found a way to get seven of its ciders into the United States, and it went home with medals.
Canada was a bigger story still. When the U.S. government banned Canadian alcoholic beverages, cider included, from entering the country this fall, organizers expected zero Canadian entries. Instead, the U.S. Open turned to Niagara College in Canada, its partner for 17 years. All Canadian entries were shipped to Niagara and judged in Canada. Canadian ciders went from zero to more than 20% of the field, the most Canadian entries in the 12-year history of the U.S. Open Cider Championship.
The first round of judging was held at the U.S. Open Event Center, better known as “The Barn,” in Oxford, Ohio. U.S. Open founder Dow Scoggins then personally drove the top three American ciders in each category, along with the Ukrainian entries, across the border to Niagara College for the final round. There, U.S. Open director and founding partner Jon Downing ran the final judging alongside Canadian brewers and cider makers.
“When the border closed to Canadian cider, we weren’t going to leave those cider makers out,” said Scoggins. “If the Canadian ciders couldn’t come to us, we’d take the American ciders to them. My son Cam and I can’t wait to get these medals out to the winners.”
Grand National Champion: Schilling Cider
Schilling Cider of Seattle, Washington, is the 2026 Grand National Champion. Schilling won a record five gold medals, plus one silver and one bronze.
Runner-up: Thornbury Craft Co. (Ontario) — 3 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
Third place: Loch Mor Cider Company (Ontario) — 1 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze.
The 2026 Thumper Award: Ardiel Cider House
The Thumper Award is named in memory of Andy “Thumper” Rich, cider maker for Arsenal Cider House and the 2020 U.S. Open Cider Grand National Champion. Thumper, a pioneer in the craft cider and beer industries, passed away on December 5, 2023, at his home in Dormont, Pennsylvania, after a courageous battle with cancer.
The Thumper Award is presented each year to the cider and cidery judged Best of Show. This year it goes to Ardiel Cider House of Ontario for its Ardiel Dry Apple Cider. The U.S. Open Cider Championship will also donate proceeds from this year’s competition to the National Brain Tumor Society in Thumper’s honor.
New This Year: The Directors Award
The new Directors Award goes to the U.S. Open directors’ favorite cider of the competition. The first Directors Award goes to Cherry Pie from Atlanta Hard Cider Co. & Distillery in Atlanta, Georgia.
Top 10 Cideries
1. Schilling Cider – Washington
2. Thornbury Craft Co. – Ontario
3. Loch Mor Cider Company – Ontario
4. Ciderboys Hard Cider Co. – Wisconsin
4. Country Boy Brewing – Kentucky
6. von Stiehl Winery • Distillery • Cidery – Wisconsin
7. Ardiel Cider House – Ontario
7. Vala’s Orchard Cider Co. – Nebraska
9. Blake’s Beverage Co. – Michigan
10. Arsenal Cider House – Pennsylvania
10. Woodchuck Hard Cider – Vermont
Top 10 Cider Names
1. Broken Hearts are for Apples – Arsenal Cider House
2. How Bout Dem Apples – Missing Falls Brewery
3. Dryabolical – Schilling Cider
4. Lady Kay Perry – Doc Waters Cidery
5. Son of a Peach – Diskin Cider
6. Babe Magnet – Diskin Cider
7. Texas Honey – Blake’s Beverage Co.
8. Whisky Tango – Spy Cider House & Distillery
9. Super Natural Cider – Fort Point Beer Co
10. Strawbeary Rhube Awakening – Schilling Cider
2026 U.S. Open Cider Championship Medal Winners – Click Here
About the U.S. Open Cider Championship
The U.S. Open added cider categories to the U.S. Open Beer Championship in 2015. Entries grew so quickly that the stand-alone U.S. Open Cider Championship launched in 2016. It is part of the U.S. Open Beer, Whiskey, Cider and Hard Seltzer Championships, founded by Jon Downing, Rick Roberts and Dow Scoggins in 2009.
