Winery at Black Star Farms Wins Medals for Spirits

Suttons Bay, MI— The Winery at Black Star Farms received awards in the recent 15th Annual Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition 2021 (GLINTCAP), held July 28-30 in Grand Rapids, MI. The Winery’s Spirit of Pear took first place, while the Spirit of Apple took third place in the spirits division of the competition.

The winery began its distillery back in 1999, the second year after the winery began its first crush.

Black Star Farm’s fruit-based brandies are generally known as eau de vie-style spirits, a staple in some European countries. Eau de vie is French for “water of life”. The spirits are clear and represent the pure essence of fermented fruit. The balance of fruit and alcohol reflects both the artisan skill of the distiller and the quality of fruit. At the precise time, the distiller feels it is optimum to showcase the “spirit” of the fruit; the brandy is bottled, often a single barrel at a time. Black Star Farms produces brandies from the best local cherries, pears, plums, raspberries, and grapes and sells exclusively through their tasting room locations in Suttons Bay and Old Mission Peninsula.

Judges evaluated each entry on characteristics such as style, level of carbonation, level of sweetness, and any special ingredients or processes used in production.

Judges are a combination of cider industry professionals, cider experts, sensory analysis experts, experienced BJCP and non-BJCP judges, and select members of the media. (The BJCP was founded in 1985 as a joint venture between the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) and the Home Wine and Beer Trade Association (HWBTA)). For more information visit https://glintcap.org/.