![\"A](\"https:\/\/washingtonbeerblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cider-Summit-2026-featured-3-750x500.webp\" "\\"TICKET")
<\/a>\n <\/div>\nTICKET GIVEAWAY \u2013 We are giving away a pair of VIP tickets <\/strong>to Cider Summit Seattle. To enter the drawing, visit us on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, and\/or Bluesky<\/a>. Find our post about this giveaway and leave a comment that tags a friend. On August 10th, we will select one winner at random from all entries. You are free to enter via each of the three social media platforms if you like.<\/p>\n You can also purchase tickets at a special price using our discount code: WABB-5<\/strong>. Just enter the code at checkout. <\/p>\n Fifteen years. Let that sink in for a second.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n That\u2019s fifteen years of Cider Summit Seattle<\/a> setting up shop in the heart of the city, fifteen years of artisan cidermakers pouring their hearts (and their heritage apples) into taster glasses for thirsty fans, and fifteen years of me personally underestimating how many good ciders exist outside the six or seven that I can name off the top of my head. (Don\u2019t judge me: I\u2019m working on it.) Every single year, I\u2019m wrong about the popularity of cider. Every single year, I\u2019m happy to be wrong, and happy Cider Summit endures. It\u2019s sinking in: cider is not going anywhere, and I need to lend it more attention.<\/p>\n The region\u2019s largest hard cider tasting festival returns Friday, September 11<\/strong> (3 \u2013 8 p.m., with a VIP session kicking things off at 2 p.m.) and Saturday, September 12<\/strong> (noon \u2013 5 p.m.), right back where it belongs \u2014 South Lake Union, 101 Westlake Ave. N. If you\u2019ve been before, you know the drill. If you haven\u2019t, buckle up. Tickets are on sale now<\/a>!<\/p>\n More than 40 producers. Over 125 ciders, meads, cider cocktails, and fruit spirits. Sourced from the Pacific Northwest and beyond. And it\u2019s not just pour-and-go, either \u2014 plenty of the cidermakers themselves show up to talk shop, offer advice for cider-food pairing possibilities, and generally make you feel smarter about cider than you actually are. Let the experts guide your afternoon\u2019s tasting experience.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re very excited to celebrate this benchmark,\u201d said Alan Shapiro, Cider Summit co-founder and producer, who has watched this thing grow from a scrappy regional gathering into the PNW\u2019s signature cider event. \u201cEach year, we\u2019re excited to introduce a range of new vendors and new products to even our most loyal festival attendees.\u201d<\/p>\n Emily Ritchie, Executive Director of the NW Cider Association<\/a>, put it even more plainly: since 2010, this has been<\/em> the event. Not an<\/em> event. The<\/em> event.<\/p>\n \u201cEach year, our members and cider fans throughout the region look forward to Cider Summit Seattle,\u201d Ritchie said. \u201cSince 2010, it has been the area\u2019s signature cider event. We\u2019re excited to see its momentum continue in the PNW.\u201d<\/p>\n Fifteen years of momentum. That\u2019s not a fluke \u2014 that\u2019s a community showing up. Seriously, most festivals of this ilk don\u2019t last more than five years \u2014 cider, beer, spirits, whatever. The 15-year run is an impressive testament to cider\u2019s enduring popularity. This ain\u2019t no bandwagon, but you are still welcome to jump on if you\u2019re new. Like me. <\/p>\n New-ish this year (or at least a delightfully, deliciously returning twist: a hosted four-course pairing session on Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon<\/strong>, featuring Slightly Furry Cider<\/a> paired with cupcakes from noted Seattle bakeries.<\/p>\n Cider and cupcakes. Not cider and cheese, not cider and charcuterie \u2014 cupcakes. I don\u2019t make the rules, I just report on the sugar-fueled chaos, and honestly? I\u2019m all about it. Space is capped at 60 participants, and there\u2019s a surprise bonus tasting thrown in, so if that\u2019s your idea of a well-spent Saturday morning, don\u2019t sleep on it: secure your spot<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the breakdown \u2014 pricing goes up the longer you wait, so if you\u2019re the type who buys concert tickets the day they drop, this is your moment to shine:<\/p>\n Advance tickets are online-only<\/strong><\/a>, and additional tasting tickets run $2 each once you\u2019re onsite. Sales close at 11:59 a.m. on September 11 \u2014 so procrastinators, you technically have until the morning of. I don\u2019t recommend it, but I respect the hustle.<\/p>\n Fifteen years is a long time for anything to stay good (let alone stay this<\/em> good), but Cider Summit Seattle has managed it by doing the simple things right: great producers, real conversation, and just enough unexpected creativity (looking at you, you scrumptious cupcakes) to keep it interesting.<\/p>\n Mark the calendar. Buy early. Bring the dog, but leave the kids and toddlers at home. See you on the lawn.<\/p>\n Visit our events page and calendar<\/a><\/strong> <\/em>to learn about all sorts of other upcoming beer events. To submit an event for inclusion on our events calendar, use our event submission form<\/em><\/a><\/strong>. Got more details to share, reach out to us<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\nThe Numbers Are Kind of Absurd<\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nThe Cider & Cupcake Pairing Is Back, and It\u2019s the Best Kind of Weird<\/h2>\n
Tickets, Because Logistics Matter<\/h2>\n
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Beyond the Cider \u2014 Because a Festival Needs More Than Just Drinking<\/h2>\n
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The Bottom Line<\/h2>\n
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