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Old apples nobody wanted are producing the most interesting cider in years
Heritage apples are giving U.S. cideries more complex flavors and helping them win major competition medals, with single-varietal entries rising 30% at one event.
- At the 2026 Northwest Cider Cup, single-varietal cider entries surged 30%, reflecting a broader movement of cideries across America reviving heritage fruit left behind by commercial agriculture.
- Unlike supermarket staples like Fuji or Gala, heritage varieties such as Kingston Black and Ashmead possess unique tannins and acidity that commercial apples were never selected for.
- In Colorado, Snow Capped Cider grows more than 150 varieties at 6,130 feet to concentrate flavor through high-altitude UV exposure; in New Jersey, Ironbound Farm uses regenerative agriculture reviving historic apples like Harrison and Canfield.
- The 20th-anniversary Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition received more than 1,100 entries, while Oregon, Washington and Idaho account for nearly a quarter of all U.S. cider sales despite representing just over 4% of population.
- Future growth depends on orchardists continuing to plant difficult, slow-maturing heritage fruit, as these varieties give American cider a more distinct regional vocabulary than it has had in over a century.
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19 Articles
Old apples nobody wanted are producing the most interesting cider in years
An apple variety that vanished from American orchards for decades is back and winning medals at the world’s biggest cider competition. Cideries across the country ... Read moreThe post Old apples nobody wanted are producing the most interesting cider in…
·Indiana, United States
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Total News Sources19
Leaning Left3Leaning Right3Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
L 17%
C 67%
R 16%
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