State Fair Announces 2024 Sporkies and Drinkies Finalists
Pickle lemonade, deep-fried lemonade bites and glitter-infused tea are all contenders for this year's food and beverage competition.
Elvis Nachos. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin State Fair.
Cream puffs may be a time-honored tradition at the Wisconsin State Fair, but the pastries are just one among hundreds of fried, frosted and filled foods available to fairgoers each year.
The annual Sporkies and Drinkies competition showcases the most innovative of these items, with participants constantly pushing the boundaries of what can be deep-fried, bacon-wrapped or sandwiched inside a doughnut — and sometimes all three at once.
The food and beverage competition this year received 37 entries for food and 20 for non-alcoholic beverages. The Wisconsin State Fair on Wednesday announced eight finalists in each category.
Contenders on the food side include the Cool Ranch Doritos pickle, featuring a spiral-cut dill pickle that’s encrusted with Cool Ranch Doritos, deep fried and served with a side of ranch dressing.
The creation is the brainchild of Deep-Fried Mashed Potatoes On-a-Stick, a returning food vendor at the state fair that’s typically known for — you guessed it — deep-fried mashed potatoes on a stick.
Another Sporkie finalist, deep-fried lemonade bites, comes from Saz’s BBQ. The dish features Hawaiian sweet rolls filled with lemonade curd and dipped in French toast batter, then fried until golden and topped with lemon sugar and a drizzle of icing.
Lumpia City is evoking a coffee shop favorite with its dirty chai cinnamon roll lumpia. The deep-fried treat is made with fresh dough, chai-spiced brown sugar butter and cream cheese espresso frosting.
Elote corn ribs from Tropic are a dressed-up version of classic corn on the cob. The dish features corn on the cob sliced lengthwise — the cob acts as the “bone” of the corn “rib.” The pieces are then tossed with hickory-smoked batter, deep-fried and topped with cotija cheese. The finished ribs will be served atop a bed of kettle chips along with elote dip and a lime wedge.
Elvis nachos from Slim McGinn’s Irish Pub embody the flavor combination favored by the King of Rock & Roll, feature a pile of potato chips topped with peanut butter banana sauce, chopped peanuts, banana chips and bacon crumbles.
The hot ham and glazers entry from Bud Pavilion is an homage to Wisconsin’s tradition of Sunday hot ham and rolls — but with a twist. The State Fair version features hot ham and melty Swiss cheese drizzled with raspberry jam and served between two glazed doughnuts.
Two final entries include a loaded baked potato churro from WürstBar and Camp Bar‘s rise and swine, a brioche-based waffle topped with vanilla custard, Wisconsin maple syrup, caramel sauce, toasted crunch bits, powdered sugar and two breakfast sausages.
Drinkies finalists promise to be equally flavorful, with entries such as Old Fashioned Sipper Club’s fairway fusion, which upgrades the classic Arnold Palmer with pineapple juice, key lime, coconut syrup and fresh mint.
Fluffy’s Hand Cut Donuts is putting forth an indulgent drink, the glazed doughnut coffee float, which includes doughnut-infused iced coffee and vanilla ice cream topped with a golden glazed doughnut hole and doughnut crumbles.
The tropical sunset, created by Deep-Fried Mashed Potatoes On-a-Stick, blends jasmine green tea with strawberry, mango and pineapple juice. The drink is then mixed with edible glitter for an extra-shimmery sipper.
The last — and possibly most unusual — Drinkies finalist is purple pickle lemonade from Tropic. The sweet-and-sour beverage includes lemonade, pickle juice and baby dill pickles. Butterfly pea flower adds almost no taste, but lenda a deep purple hue to the drink.
The competition will be decided on Tuesday, July 31 by a panel of “local celebrity judges,” according to a news release from Wisconsin State Fair.
Dishes will be judged on appearance, presentation, creativity, originality and taste; champions will be awarded the coveted Golden Spork and Cup awards.
All entries will be available to purchase for the duration of the fair, which is scheduled for Aug. 1 through 11.
For more information, or to view results from previous years, visit the Wisconsin State Fair website.
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