Spire Mountain Cider Strikes Gold at NABA
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
Silver for Starfish, too
Completing a golden hat trick for Spire Mountain Ciders, Spire Mountain Pear Cider has won the coveted Gold Medal of the North American Brewers Association (NABA).
Spire received the honor at the Association’s North American Beer Awards, presented on June 4th in conjunction with the 16th Annual Mountain Brewers Beer Festival in Idaho Falls, ID.
The distinction was the fourth NABA medal for the Spire Mountain brand in three years, and the second for Spire Mountain Pear Cider.
In 2009, Spire Mountain Dark & Dry Apple Cider won the NABA Gold Medal. The NABA presented it’s Gold to Spire Mountain Apple Cider in 2008. That same year, the Silver Medal went to Spire Mountain Pear Cider. Spire Mountain earned each of its NABA medals in the Cider category.
In considering the award, Spire Mountain’s head cider maker, Colin Biechman, seemed humbled. “Since the public’s expectation of cider often begins and ends with apple, having two gold apple ciders seems almost plausible. But now, having a gold pear, too– Well, that’s a deep-down satisfying feeling.”
Meanwhile in the beer categories, judges took note of another Fish Brewing entry. In the Double/Imperial Irish Red Ale competition, the Silver Medal went to Starfish Imperial Red Ale. “This award is double pleasure for me,” said Head Brewer Tony Powell. “To have our newest recipe, one named in honor of my own dear sweetheart, win this recognition, well, it kind of makes a guy speechless.
The NABA bestows its honors annually at the Idaho Falls beer festival, one of the largest in North America. Preceding the festival, NABA judges dedicate three days to evaluating entries from across the country and around the world. In 2010, the NABA bestowed Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in seventy-two beer categories, as well as Cider and Soft Drink categories. A complete list of 2010 NABA winners is available at http://www.mbbf.org/winners2010.
