Winning recipes from this year's Erie County Fair homebrew & cidermaking competitions will be canned

The deadline is quickly approaching to get entries in for the annual homebrew and cidermaking competition at the Erie County Fair.

A press release stated, “The winning beverages that come out of these competitions have become an anticipated tradition at the Erie County Fair for craft beer and cider lovers alike. In addition to the opportunity to win a gold medal for excellence, the top entry in each competition will be named ‘Best of Show,’ will be commercially produced for consumption at the Erie County Fair, and the recipe will also have a limited release of cans produced.”

The entry deadline is Friday, April 28.

New in 2023: The judging for the competition will be based on creativity and not necessarily by style. All registered styles can be entered and judged, but the main criteria for the “Best of Show” will be “creative relevancy” or the most fun recipe to enjoy while being at the venue.

A $23 entry fee allows for up to five entries in a submission. Any New York state resident is eligible to enter these competitions. Judging is scheduled to take place in May for both competitions. “Best of Show” will be selected through a blind tasting panel made up of at least two certified master judges.

Complete entry information, including class list and guidelines, is available at www.ECFair.org.

Entries will be accepted with a copy of the entry form at The Fairgrounds main office, Hamburg Brewing Co. (6553 Boston State Road, Hamburg), or Buffalo Cider Hall (155 Chandler St,, Buffalo) during their regular business hours until April 29.

Once the “Best of Show” winners are determined, the recipes will be forwarded to the teams at Hamburg Brewing Co. and BlackBird Cider Works. Try-It Distributing will distribute the finished products for public purchase at select Western New York retails outlets prior to the Erie County Fair. During the event itself, several on-premises locations will feature these award-winning beverages.

The judging of the homebrew and cider are just a couple of the competitions held annually by the Erie County Fair. The wide range of categories to win ribbons and premium money include but are not limited to agriculture, creative arts, and environment and sportsmen. Entry information for other categories are available at www.ECFair.org, with registration opening May 1.

The 183rd Erie County Fair will be held Aug. 9-20.