Attention Orcas Island Cider and Mead Home Brewers!

— by Madie Murray —

Bob can’t believe they beat his brew.  He’ll be back!

It’s time to start preparing your home brewed cider or mead to beat last year’s Best Orcas Brew!

The competition last year to beat Bob Vietzke was intense.  Eleven Orcas Island home brewers of ciders and meads entered a total of 16 varieties that took our professional judges from Adytum and Snow Drift Cideries a long time to decide who would win the coveted Crow Valley plates.  But, after all was said and done, Bob was beaten out by Jim Litch and Rachel Bishop who took #1 with a 2012 cider made from a blend of apples and Asian pear.  You can bet, Bob is going to try again!

The Orcas Home Brew Competition, open only to Orcas Island home brewers, is part of the Annual Orcas Island Cider and Mead Festival that will be held this year on the Eastsound Village Green from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. alongside the Farmers Market. Just bring one bottle of your best cider or mead home brews to the Home Brew Competition tent by 1 p.m. on Saturday May 10.  Competition will begin about 2 p.m.

In the main tasting tent from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., up to 15 Northwest hard cider and mead producers including Shilling, Seattle Cider, Finnriver, Sky River, Alpenfire, Honey Moon, Blue Mountain, Bull Run, Honey Run, Tieton Cider Works, Westcott Bay, Reverend Nat’s, Adytum and 2 Towns will be offering up 50-60 varieties of ciders and meads produced in the Great Northwest.  Adults over 21 may enter the tent to sample their amazing ciders and meads for an admission fee starting at just $5.

The event is organized by and net proceeds benefit the Orcas Island Farm to Cafeteria Program. Our sincere thanks to Islanders Bank, the Northwest Cider Association and Ray’s Pharmacy for being sponsors.  To see photos and more information about this and previous Cider Festivals, go to www.orcasislandciderfest.org.