2022 NJ State Fair Homebrew Competition (25th Annual) Results
Congratulations to Larry Bentley for taking the top prize at the 25th annual competition with his Vienna Lager, and for solidifying his lead in this year’s NJ Homebrewer of the Year to be awarded at Motown Mash. And congrats to the Garden State Homebrewers for being the first 3rd-time winner of the NJ Homebrew Club of the Year with their 2022 win at the Fair! Thanks for all your entries, judging, and support of all our sponsors!
2022 New Jersey State Fair Homebrew Competition Results
There were 235 entries judged and 118 registered participants, judges, and stewards.
Best of Show Beer
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Larry Bentley | Symphonic | Vienna Lager | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Chris Pericone | Steward's Porter | English Porter | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Dan Roebuck | Beer | Cream Ale | Garden State Homebrewers |
| HM | Preston Klingseis, Maggie Klingseis | The Kingmaker | Bière de Garde | Lehigh Valley Home Brewers |
Best of Show Mead/Cider
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Eric Wembacher | Pie In the Sky | Pyment | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
| HM | Jim Burkitt | Ice Ice Baby | Ice Cider |
Table 1: Light Beers (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Dan Roebuck | Beer | Cream Ale | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Doug Mark | "Baby Bohemian" | Czech Premium Pale Lager | South Jersey Fermenters |
| 3rd | Mark Friesen | One For Ukraine | International Pale Lager | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
Table 2: Pale Malty Euro Lagers (7 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Curtis Metrokotsas | Hades | Munich Helles | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Greg Smith | Helles Schmelles | Munich Helles | |
| 3rd | David Grosch | Operation Goldeneye | Munich Helles | Garden State Homebrewers |
Table 3: Pale Bitter Euro Lager (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Curtis Metrokotsas | Brat Lava | German Pils | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Walter Frimberger | Pilsner | German Pils | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
| 3rd | Greg Manderski | Fluff Head | German Pils | Garden State Home Brewers Club |
Table 4: Amber Euro Lagers (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Larry Bentley | Symphonic | Vienna Lager | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Larry Bentley | Analog Alt | Altbier | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 3rd | David Grosch | No Time To Lager | Märzen | Garden State Homebrewers |
Table 5: Dark Euro Lager (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Mark Kaniewski | Bock To The Future | Doppelbock | Gardenstate Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Greg Smith | Putin Is A Dickhead | Baltic Porter | |
| 3rd | Mark Kaniewski | What Would Yogurt Do? | Schwarzbier | Gardenstate Homebrewers |
Table 6: Wheat Beers (7 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Preston Klingseis | Every Day I'm Dunkling | Dunkels Weissbier | Lehigh Valley Home Brewers |
| 2nd | Andres Henao | Citrine | American Wheat Beer | |
| HM | Tom Carola | Gemunkelt | Dunkels Weissbier | South Jersey Fermenters |
Table 7: English Ales (12 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Mike Orloski | Goldie | British Golden Ale | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
| 2nd | Jason Filoon | Bitter Strong | Strong Bitter |
Table 8: Dark English Ales (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Chris Pericone | Steward's Porter | English Porter | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Greg Manderski | Rusty Patina | Dark Mild | Garden State Home Brewers Club |
| 3rd | Bobby Mierzejwski | You're Gonna Love My Nuts | British Brown Ale | Garden State Homebrewers |
Table 9: Irish Ales (4 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Greg Manderski | Stoick the Vast | Irish Red Ale | Garden State Home Brewers Club |
| 2nd | Chris Pericone | Handy Gilmore | Irish Red Ale | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Daniel Pena | Lady Red | Irish Red Ale | Bergen County Brew Crew |
Table 10: American Pale Ale (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Peter Cooke | Grandma's Perfume | American Pale Ale | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Mike Brady | Fluffy Sunshine | American Pale Ale | Morris Area Society of Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Rose Cubbon | Fanwood Ale Columbus | American Pale Ale | WHALES (Woodbridge Homebrewers Ale and Lager Enthusiast Society) |
Table 11: American Blonde & Amber (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Walter Frimberger | Steam Beer | California Common | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
| 2nd | Mark Friesen | Blondie | Blonde Ale | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
| 3rd | Mike Brady | Holdie Gawn | Blonde Ale | Morris Area Society of Homebrewers |
Table 12: American Dark Ale (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Sue Messina | John Didn't Drink It All! | American Stout | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Barry Polhemus | Baritone Brown Ale | American Brown Ale | Garden State HomeBrewers |
| 3rd | John Hayes | Green House American Robust Porter | American Porter | Garden State Homebrewers |
Table 13: IPAs (17 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Christopher Akocs | Rye Me Amadeus | Specialty IPA | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Doug Mark | "Black Dog" Black IPA | Black IPA | South Jersey Fermenters |
| 3rd | Barry Polhemus | Fuzz Box Black IPA | Black IPA | Garden State HomeBrewers |
Table 14: Hazy IPAs (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Keith Blanchard | Third Time's The Charm | Hazy IPA | Morris Area Society of Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Juan Alvarez | Fog Of War | Hazy IPA | Garden Sate Homebrewers (GSHB) |
| 3rd | Paul McDonald | Hazy For Hazel | Hazy IPA | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
Table 15: Strong Americans (6 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Paul McDonald | Oil Pan | Imperial Stout | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
| 2nd | Jason Filoon | Vanilla Coconut Stout | Imperial Stout | |
| 3rd | Bobby Mierzejwski | When In Doubt, Wait It Out | Imperial Stout | Garden State Homebrewers |
Table 16: Euro Sours (5 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Paul McDonald | Beach Buggy | Berliner Weisse | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
| 2nd | Daniel Tejada | Balaton Kriek | Fruit Lambic | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Daniel Tejada | De Tal Palo | Gueuze | Garden State Homebrewers |
Table 17: Belgians (13 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Preston Klingseis | The Kingmaker | Bière de Garde | Lehigh Valley Home Brewers |
| 2nd | Paul Jones | Saison | Saison | Morris Area Society of Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Peter Cooke | Rustic | Saison | Garden State Homebrewers |
| HM | Jonathan Boyle | Staircase Wit | Witbier |
Table 18: Belgian Monastic Ales (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | John Hayes | Green House Tripel | Belgian Tripel | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | John Hayes | Green House Quadrupel | Belgian Dark Strong Ale | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Jason Filoon | Belgian Single | Belgian Single |
Table 19: Wild Ales (8 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Daniel Tejada | Cracked Sidewalk Surfer | Mixed Fermentation Sour Beer | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Paul Jones | Wheat-Tarts | Mixed Fermentation Sour Beer | Morris Area Society of Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Daniel Tejada | Dekkera Rising | Brett Beer | Garden State Homebrewers |
Table 20: Fruit Beers (7 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | John Litak | Apricots For Cricket | Fruit Beer | Lehigh Valley Home Brewers |
| 2nd | Adam DeHanes | Thin Blue Line | Fruit Beer | |
| 3rd | Caleb Orr | Pucker Up | Fruit Beer | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
Table 21: Spiced Beers (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Chris Pericone | Pike Place Porter | Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Adam DeHanes | Chocolate Mint Stout | Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer | |
| 3rd | Jason Willard | Big Ole Fezzifig Holiday Ale | Winter Seasonal Beer | Jersey City Brew Club |
| HM | Mike Walonen | Devil-Cat | Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer | WHALES (Woodbridge Homebrewers Ale and Lager Enthusiast Society) |
Table 22: Wood Aged & Smoked (5 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Mark Kaniewski | George's Lament | Classic Style Smoked Beer | Gardenstate Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Christopher LaSpada | Wino Wheat | Specialty Wood-Aged Beer | Morris Area Society of Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Doug Mark | "Yyz" - Smoked Maple Bourbon Porter | Specialty Wood-Aged Beer | South Jersey Fermenters |
Table 23: Historic & Specialty (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Mark Kaniewski | Polski Juice 3 | Piwo Grodziskie | Gardenstate Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Dan Roebuck | Beer | Mixed-Style Beer | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Mike Orloski | Wry Pale Ale | Alternative Grain Beer | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
Table 24: Traditional Meads (4 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Arthur Franke | Coffee Blossom | Dry Mead | Bergen County Brew Crew |
| 2nd | Francis Hiller | Brasilia | Semi-Sweet Mead | South Jersey Fermenters |
| 3rd | Eric Wembacher | Old School | Sweet Mead | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
| HM | John Pursglove | Freaky Teakke | Semi-Sweet Mead | Barley Legal Homebrewers |
Table 25: Fruit Mead (8 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Eric Wembacher | Pie In the Sky | Pyment | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
| 2nd | Eric Wembacher | Royal Velvet | Melomel | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
| 3rd | Jon Sobel | Mead | Melomel | Garden State Homebrewers |
Table 26: Spiced Meads (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Jon Sobel | Liar Liar Pyment On Fire | Experimental Mead | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Bobby Mierzejwski | Toast It And Freeze It | Experimental Mead | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Eric Wembacher | Long Drive Spiced Cyser | Fruit and Spice Mead | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
Table 27: Ciders (14 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
| 1st | Jim Burkitt | Ice Ice Baby | Ice Cider | |
| 2nd | Jim Burkitt | Hearts of Summer | New World Cider | |
| 3rd | Bob Smith | Granny Smith | New World Cider | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |