Erie County Fair Hard Cider

The Erie County Fair is continuing the home cider making competition! The craft hard cider making scene in Buffalo is growing and we want to help that growth. We want to offer a tasty gluten free beverage to our guests to enjoy during their visits to the Erie County Fair, so we are partnering with BlackBird Cider Works to make it happen. BlackBird Cider Works is proud to be Niagara County’s first sole craft hard cider producer. Nestled on a beautiful farm overlooking Lake Ontario, they produce hard ciders made from apples grown on their own estate orchard.

Online entry registration starts March 1st. Cider making hobbyists have until Friday, April 28th to enter their ciders for judging. In addition to the opportunity to win a gold medal for excellence, the Erie County Fair Cider Making Competition’s top entry will be professionally brewed and named the 2023 “Erie County Fair Best In Show Cider.”

Click Here for more information.

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A "Hop Cider" Takes The Top Honor

A Hop Cider created by Patrick McPartland of Kenmore, NY took top honors in the 2022 Cider Competition. A panel of judges and master judges evaluated the submissions according to nationally recognized USACM Cider Style Guidelines.

This was Patrick’s first time entering a cider competition. In fact, he was going to give up after the original batch didn’t turn out how he wanted, but his wife forced him to redo the batch. He chose this style as they are big fans of IPA Beers and like the style for cider. Patrick has begun working with the team at BlackBird Cider Works to professionally make his recipe that will be for sale during the Fair (while supplies last).

Click here for a full list of the 2022 results.

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