State Fair Announces Finalists for 2024 Sporkies and Drinkies » Urban Milwaukee

Cream puffs may be a time-honored tradition at the Wisconsin State Fair, but the pastries are just one of hundreds of fried, glazed and stuffed foods available to fairgoers each year.

The annual Sporkies and Drinkies competition showcases the most innovative products, with entrants constantly pushing the boundaries of what can be fried, wrapped in bacon or sandwiched in a donut – and sometimes all three at once.

The food and drink competition this year received 37 entries for food and 20 for non-alcoholic drinks. The Wisconsin State Fair announced eight finalists in each category on Wednesday.

Competitors on the food side include the Cool Ranch Doritos Pickle, featuring a spiral-cut dill pickle encrusted with Cool Ranch Doritos, fried and served with a side of ranch dressing.

The creation is the brainchild of Deep-Fried Mashed Potatoes On-a-Stick, a throwback food vendor at the state fair who is generally known for — you guessed it — their mashed potatoes of fried potatoes on a stick.

Another Sporkie runner-up, the 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 brown and topped with lemon sugar and a drizzle of glaze.

Lumpia City evokes a coffeehouse favorite with its dirty chai cinnamon bun lumpia. This fried treat is made with fresh dough, chai-spiced brown sugar butter, and an espresso cream cheese frosting.

Tropic’s Elote Corn Ribs are a dressed-up version of the classic corn on the cob. The dish includes corn cobs sliced ​​lengthwise – the cob acts as the “bone” of the corn “rib”. The pieces are then mixed with a hickory-smoked batter, fried and topped with cotija cheese. The finished ribs will be served on a bed of kettle chips with elote dip and a lime wedge.

Elvis nachos at Slim McGinn’s Irish Pub embody the flavor combination favored by the King of Rock & Roll, with a pile of chips topped with peanut butter banana sauce, chopped peanuts, banana chips and bacon crumble.

Bud Pavilion’s hot ham and glazed entrée is an homage to the Wisconsin tradition of hot ham and Sunday rolls, but with a twist. The State Fair version features warm ham and melty Swiss cheese drizzled with raspberry jam and served between two glazed donuts.

Two final starters include a baked potato churro loaded with WürstBar and Camp Bar’s Rise and Swine, a brioche-based waffle topped with vanilla custard, Wisconsin maple syrup, caramel sauce, chunks toasted crunchies, powdered sugar and two breakfast sausages.

The drink runners-up promise to be just as tasty, with starters like the Old Fashioned Sipper Club’s Fairway Fusion, which upgrades the Arnold Palmer classic with pineapple juice, lime, coconut syrup and fresh mint.

Fluffy’s Hand Cut Donuts offers an indulgent drink, the Glazed Donut Coffee Float, which features donut-infused iced coffee and vanilla ice cream topped with a golden glazed donut hole and donut crumbles.

The tropical sunset, created by fried mashed potatoes on a stick, mixes jasmine green tea with strawberry, mango and pineapple juice. The drink is then mixed with edible glitter for an extra shimmery sip.

The final – and perhaps most unusual – runner-up from Drinkies is Tropic’s Purple Pickle Lemonade. The sweet and sour drink includes lemonade, pickle juice and small dill pickles. The butterfly pea flower adds almost no flavor, but gives a dark 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 the Wisconsin State Fair.

The dishes will be judged on their appearance, presentation, creativity, originality and taste; the champions will receive the coveted Golden Spoon and Cup awards.

All entries will be available for purchase throughout the duration of the show, scheduled for August 1-11.

For more information or to view results from previous years, visit the Wisconsin State Fair website.