On Friday, May 17th, the brewing of the 2019 “Best In Show” beer took place at Flying Bison Brewing Company in Larkinville.
A collaborative brew by three Western New York State home brewers has been named “Best of Show” during the Erie County Fair’s 2019 Home Brew Competition. A German Leichtbier brewed by John Crossett of North Tonawanda, Brian Milleville of Sanborn and Mark Zambron of West Seneca took top honors during the 6th annual competition. A panel of judges and master judges evaluated the submissions according to nationally recognized Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) protocols. A complete listing of winners is available online at: https://bit.ly/2JPJT6y.
According to BJCP’s published style guidelines, German Leichtbier (pronounced “LYESHT-beer) is a pale, light-bodied German lager with lower alcohol and calories than normal-strength beers. Moderately bitter with noticeable malt and hop flavors. Judges remarked that the winning entry had “impressive flavor and aroma” for a light bodied beer and was “crisp and refreshing.”
Once crowned “Best Of Show,” the brewers submitted the beer’s recipe to the professional brew staff at Flying Bison Brewery. Kegged product, based on the homebrew recipe, will be offered by Try-It Distributing to select Western New York establishments for public purchase prior to the Fair. During the 180th Erie County Fair, on premise “beer gardens” will feature the award-winning beer. Production of the winning recipe will take place on Friday, May 17th beginning at 9:30am at Flying Bison’s facilities located at 840 Seneca Street in Larkinville.
In the Erie County Fair’s inaugural Home Hard Cider Making Competition, cider maker Jeffrey Clift of Buffalo won “Best in Show Cider” with his “All American Cider.” In total, 23 entries were received in the cider competition. Once named the 2019 “Erie County Fair Best In Show Cider,” the winning home hard cider maker received a gold medal for excellence and then began the process of being professionally reproduced by BlackBird Cider Works for sale during the Fair. A complete listing of cider winners is available at: https://bit.ly/2VEGsa6.
The Erie County Fair Home Brew and Cider competitions are sponsored by the Erie County Agricultural Society with support from Try-It Distributing, Flying Bison Brewing, Black Bird Cider Works and KATZ Americas.
The judging of home brewed beer is just one of the competitions held annually by the Erie County Fair. In 2019, over 13,0000 entries are expected to be received and judged by the Fair’s Competitive Exhibits Office. The wide range of ribbon winning categories include agriculture, conservation and creative arts among others. 2019 entries are currently being accepted online at www.ECFair.org.
