Snow Capped Cider Strikes Gold at 2024 GLINTCAP

Colorado apple growers and cider producer Snow Capped Cider, helmed by Kari Williams, won the 2024 GLINTCAP Midsize Cidermaker of the Year Award alongside the highest scoring total in the competition.

Says Owner and Head Cidermaker Kari Williams, “Being recognized as the leading cidery among so many remarkable competitors is truly a privilege and a humbling experience. I am deeply grateful to my dedicated team for their tireless efforts in cultivating, picking, and crafting our apples and cider this season. It fills us with pride to stand as representatives of Colorado and to demonstrate that the finest cider apples flourish on the Western Slope of the Rockies.”

At GLINTCAP, Snow Capped Cider was judged amongst US and international competitors, including cideries from Spain, Italy, Japan, Canada, and more with a total of over 1,400 entries. Ciders were evaluated through anonymous judging sessions with each submission receiving a randomly assigned number. Judges were provided with only the crucial information required for effective evaluation, such as the cider’s style, carbonation, sweetness, ingredients and cider making methods used. The panel included a diverse group of experts from the cider industry including judges with BJCP accreditation, sensory analysis specialists, and several select media members.

The Midsize Cidermaker of the Year Award spotlights cideries that generate between 25,001 and 500,000 gallons annually. This category is particularly competitive due to the combination of both high quality and high quantity required from cideries of this size. The acclaimed cidermakers who have won in this category are recognized for their exceptional ciders, which not only meet the standards of quality and volume, but also push the boundaries in cidermaking techniques and science. For Williams and Snow Capped Cider, securing the title of this year’s Midsize Commercial Cider Maker of the Year represents their most prestigious accolade thus far.

In addition to being named Midsize Cidermaker of the Year, cementing Snow Capped Cider’s status as one of the best cideries in the world, Williams and her team won a grand total of 40 medals and received the highest point total in the competition. Snow Capped Cider stood out among the competitors by earning the most total Gold medals, sweeping the Heritage Cider (Sweet) category, winning 18 Silvers, and the highest honor in the competition, taking home a staggering seven Best in Class awards.

“I was completely blown away by the results this year,” said Williams. “I have made it my life’s work to show that Colorado belongs on the top of any list as one of the best places in the world to produce cider fruit. I’m speechless and honored beyond words.”

The use of historic American, English, and French cider apples, as well as the patience and care Snow Capped Cider puts into its blends, sets it apart and allows it to compete in so many categories. Snow Capped Cider has participated in every major cider competition and has established a pattern as the premier apple grower and cidery in Colorado and the entire industry. 

Snow Capped Cider’s product is made from 100% Colorado-grown fruit and stands on five generations and over a century of fruit-growing experience. As one of the oldest family fruit growers in Colorado, each generation has enriched their family's orchards, vineyards, and legacy. Their historic French, American and English cider apples grown at an elevation of 6130-7000 feet are one of the highest elevation orchards in the world and the mountain terroir captures the crisp taste of Colorado, producing hyper-expressive flavor and a clean and balanced cider that can only be created in the region the apples are grown.

Snow Capped Cider List of 2024 GLINTCAP Award-Winning Ciders:

1. The Russets - Best in Class Heritage Cider (Sweet)
2. Gravenstein - Best in Class Heritage Cider (Sweet)
3. Golden Russet - Best in Class Heritage Cider (Sweet)
4. Yarlington Mill - Best in Class Traditional Cider (Dry)
5. Winter Pear - Best in Class Modern Perry
6. Porters & Perry - Best in Class Fruit Cider
7. Sparkling Rose - Best in Class Specialty Cider and Perry
8. Gold Rush - Gold Heritage Cider (Sweet)
9. 6352’ Elevation Series - Gold Traditional Cider (Dry)
10. Dabinett Reserve - Gold Traditional Cider (Dry)
11. Herefordshire Redstreak - Gold Traditional Cider (Dry)
12. Kingston Black Reserve - Gold Traditional Cider (Dry)
13. Akane - Silver                                                                    
14. Opal - Bronze
15. Arkansas Black - Silver
16. Brut Dry Heirloom - Silver
17. Chisel Jersey - Silver
18. Wickson Crabapple - Silver
19. Winesap - Silver
20. 6130′ Medium Dry - Bronze
21. Porters Perfection - Bronze
22. 6456′ Elevation Blends - Silver
23. Harrison Reserve - Silver
24. Newtown Pippin - Silver
25. Ashmeads Kernel - Silver
26. Foxwhelp - Silver
27. Major - Silver
28. Ellis Bitter - Bronze
29. Wilde Woods - Bronze
30. Sparkling Perry - Bronze
31. Colorado Peach - Bronze
32. Sour Cherry - Bronze
33. BBL Aged Kingston Black - Silver
34. Blanc Mollet - Silver
35. Hopped Apricot - Silver
36. Plum Lemongrass with Ginger - Silver
37. Rockies Rose - Silver
38. White Pear - Silver
39. Barrel Aged Peach Spiced - Bronze
40. JalaPEARno’ - Bronze

About Snow Capped Cider

Our high-quality, cider-specific fruit is cultivated in Colorado, drawing on authentic English and French orchard styles. This approach eliminates the need for added artificial sugars, ensuring a clean, fresh taste.

We are pioneers in Colorado's fruit-growing history, having first introduced innovative techniques to maximize the natural flavors, quality, quantity, and variety of our produce. Our farms have nurtured over 100 apple varieties and 40 peach varieties, including many heritage and cider-specific fruits.

Located at the base of Grand Mesa in the stunning Surface Creek Valley of Colorado's Western Slope, Williams Family Orchards sits at an elevation of 6,130 feet—making it one of the highest elevation orchards in the world. The unique climate of high elevation, warm days, and cool nights captures the crisp essence of Colorado, producing a clean and balanced cider.

Innovation led our family as the first fruit farmers in Colorado to implement trellis growing systems, and we pioneered the use of micro-sprinkler technology, propane heating systems, and wind machines. Facing declining sales of older apple varieties, Dan and Orville Williams introduced the Gala apple to the Colorado market in 1986, further cementing our reputation for innovation.

Our Colorado-grown hard ciders are the culmination of over a century of fruit-growing expertise. Each generation has contributed significantly to the development of our family orchards, vineyards, and legacy. We take pride in continuing our family’s commitment to quality, innovation, and excellence with every cider we produce. Read more history here.