SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Springdale's Black Apple Hard Cider has been ranked one of the top 10 cideries in the nation at the U.S. Open Cider Championship.
"We are thrilled to be recognized as one of the top 10 cideries by the U.S. Open Cider Championship," Leo Orpin, co-founder of Black Apple, said on Black Apple's Instagram. "Representing our home state of Arkansas against traditional cider states such as Vermont and Washington, in what is known in cider circles as one of the most prestigious cider competitions in the country is no small feat. We are proud of our team and look to continue producing great cider in its natural state."
Black Apple was named the fourth top cidery in the U.S. in the ninth annual championship, behind cideries in Vermont, Ontario, and Nebraska.
The U.S. Open Cider said "240 ciders representing 29 different styles" entered in the championship.
Although the competition specifies that it is a U.S. competition, the cideries, wineries, and breweries that compete span "from Canada to California." The judges were from the U.S., Canada, and England, and tasted each cider blindly at the two rounds of judging in Welland, Ontario, and Oxford, Ohio.
Orpin called for a celebration for putting Arkansas on the cidery map.
"We wouldn't be here without you... so come visit us and let's celebrate being named No. 4 in the nation," he said.
Orpin, Trey Holt, and John Handley started Black Apple in 2014 and introduced the first cidery in Arkansas, according to their website. They began making their traditional ciders at the Springdale Taproom at 321 East Emma Avenue.
After the success with their ciders on tap, Black Apple moved to cans in 2018. Among their many different cider flavors, they now offer five ciders in a can—including Hibiscus, Peach, Black Lyte Watermelon, Blackberry, and Strawberry—to retailers in six states.
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