Following the judging of the entries submitted for the Erie County Fair Home Brew and Cider competitions, the Best of Show winners have been selected.
Best of Show Cider | Tim Hull of Tonawanda, NY
The 2024 Erie County Fair Best in Show Cider, “Grandstand Peach” was created by Tim Hull of Tonawanda, NY. The fruit cider’s name came out of Hull’s love for attending concerts in The Buffalo News Grandstand each year. Hull began experimenting with peach flavors two years ago, originally inspired by the classic Georgia peach and Masters golf tournament in Augusta, GA. This past spring, he perfected the flavor and entered it into the Fair’s annual competition. According to Hull, this sweet and refreshing cider will pair best with salty Fair foods like French fries, nachos or a blooming onion.
Hull first began making cider after taking home his uncle’s cider recipe from a holiday party 10 years ago. Since then, Hull has expanded his basement production room to include both cider and wine. Hull’s mother was an avid exhibitor in local fair competitions, which inspired Hull to begin competing himself. In 2021, Hull won the Best of Show Cider title and took home numerous silver and bronze awards in the 2021 Home Wine competition at the Fair.
The team with Blackbird Cider at Resurgence Brewing Company will work with Hull to professionally produce Grandstand Peach to be distributed in TOPS Friendly Markets and other retail outlets. The award-winning cider will also be kegged and sold in the beer gardens at the Erie County Fair. A first-time sampling event for the cider will take place on July 11 at Resurgence Brewing Company at 6 p.m.
A complete listing of cider winners is available here: Cider Making Competition.
Best of Show Home Brew | Adam Millar of Hamburg, NY
The 2024 Erie County Fair Best in Show Beer, “Tilt-a-Weizen” was brewed by Adam Millar of Hamburg, NY. This classic Hefeweizen beer contains natural yeast-driven flavors of banana and clove.
Millar attends the Fair each year and enjoys tasting a bit of everything as he makes his way through the grounds. Some of his favorite foods would pair nicely with this Hefeweizen, including the Fry Bread from Nya:Weh Village, soft pretzels, fried dough and grilled cheese.
Millar began homebrewing in 2017 after he and a friend sought to craft the perfect beer for anyone to enjoy, anywhere. Starting with a small pot, bag, and bucket, he has since evolved his setup to include a 7.5-gallon electric Grainfather with carboys. Millar began working as an assistant at Big Ditch in 2022, where he has further refined his techniques. Collaborating with his friend Kevin Wise, they crafted this year’s award-winning Hefeweizen.
Millar—a first-time exhibitor at the Erie County Fair—decided to enter the competition after his recent success at AWOG, at which he won gold and silver medals, igniting his desire to continue competing.
Hamburg Brewing will work with Millar to professionally recreate his recipe to be canned and sold in 4-packs at local retailers including TOPS Friendly Markets. The award-winning beer will also be kegged and sold at the Erie County Fair’s beer gardens. A keg-tapping event for the beer with sampling opportunities will take place on July 18th at Hamburg Brewing starting at 6 p.m.
A complete listing of home brew winners is available here.
The Erie County Fair Home Brew and Cider competitions are led by the Erie County Agricultural Society, hosts of the Erie County Fair, with support from Try-It Distributing, Hamburg Brewing, and Resurgence.
The Erie County Fair will be held August 7-18.
