Home Brew Cider & Mead Brewers – Get Ready

— from Madie Murray —

Custom Festival Orcas Island Growlers waiting to be glazed then capped and beautifully finished. Ready to be won!

It’s just about time to see if the home brewed ciders and meads you’ve been pampering for weeks, months or even years will make the cut for “BEST OF THE FEST” in our home brew cider and mead competition. It will be held on Saturday, July 23^rd during the Sixth Annual Orcas Island Cider & Mead Festival – a major fundraiser for the Orcas Island Farm to Cafeteria Program.

For the past 5 years, Crow Valley Pottery has crafted the unique awards for this equally unique event and we miss them terribly this year. But in their stead, Orcas Island Growlers has graciously stepped up to the plate; or, to perhaps put it more aptly, will be replacing the plate with beautiful custom Orcas Home Brew Winner growlers! Owner, sales, design and production potter Philip Shane has come a very long way since last year’s Festival. These one-of-a-kind functional art works will last a lifetime with proper care, “so winners can ‘Drink. Rinse and Repeat’,” says Shane!

Just for Orcas Island residents, this home brew cider and mead competition has become the focus of bar room chatter since the first winner Bob (you know who) became champ way, way back in 2010! Since then, he has been upped by Jim Litch and Rachel Bishop 3 times! The Litch/Bishop team was finally toppled by Libby Garcia last year with her “Boathouse Brews Gingered Hard Cider.”

Who will it be this year? We know the Litch/Bishop team is chomping at the bit to regain their fame, and those who have come in close second and third are itching to be first. Or, like Libby, someone could burst through the pack and grab the prize. The competition will be intense!

If you wish to compete, just bring your brews to the cider garden area next to the big white tasting tent no later than 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 23^rd. The brews are to be hard ciders or meads only. More than one entry per person may be entered – but don’t hog the show. No entrance fee required.