New Jersey State Fair Homebrew Competition 2025 (28th Annual)
Thanks to all who participated in the New Jersey State Fair Homebrew Competition 2025 (28th Annual).
There were 248 entries judged and 227 registered participants, judges, and stewards.
Best of Show Winners
Best of Show – Beer
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Keith Blanchard | Delayed Gratification | 17B: Old Ale | Morris Area Society of Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Bobby Mierzejwski Co-Brewer: Larry Bentley | Mark It Zero | 13A: Dark Mild | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Curtis Metrokotsas | Elias | 3B: Czech Premium Pale Lager | Garden State Homebrewers |
| HM | Tom Damratoski | Road Block | 4C: Helles Bock | Garden State Homebrewers |
Winning Entries
Table 1: Light American & International (10 entries)
Table 2: Czech Lagers (5 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Curtis Metrokotsas | Elias | 3B: Czech Premium Pale Lager | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Daniel Perrigan MHP | Czech Two | 3A: Czech Pale Lager | Morris Area Society of Homebrewers |
Table 3: Pale Malty Euros (6 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Tom Damratoski | Road Block | 4C: Helles Bock | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Bill Gibbons MHP | Latitude 24.55 | 4A: Munich Helles | |
| 3rd | Raymond Monahan MHP | May The Bock Be With You | 4C: Helles Bock | Morris Area Society of Homebrewers |
Table 4: Pale Bitter Euros (16 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Tom Damratoski | Bruh | 5B: Kölsch | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Zachary Seely MHP | Kolsch | 5B: Kölsch | |
| 3rd | Mark Friesen | Lighter Than Air | 5A: German Leichtbier | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
Table 5: German Pils (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | David Grosch | Jagged Little Pils | 5D: German Pils | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Juan Alvarez | Head For The Pils | 5D: German Pils | Garden Sate Homebrewers (GSHB) |
| 3rd | Paul Odell | Take Your Pils | 5D: German Pils | NJHOPZ |
Table 6: Amber Euros (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Bobby Mierzejwski | Don't Jimmie Me Jules | 6A: Märzen | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Paul McDonald | Autobahn | 6A: Märzen | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
| 3rd | David Grosch | Made A Lightning Trip To Vienna | 7A: Vienna Lager | Garden State Homebrewers |
| HM | David Kerr | O-Face | 6A: Märzen | Ocean County Home Brewers |
Table 7: Dark Euros (7 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | David Kerr | Who Wears Schwarz Scwarz | 8B: Schwarzbier | Ocean County Home Brewers |
| 2nd | Jon Sobel | Black & White Cookie Lager | 8B: Schwarzbier | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 3rd | David Grosch | Dunkel. Echt. Boarisch. | 8A: Munich Dunkel | Garden State Homebrewers |
Table 8: Strong Euros (6 entries)
Table 9: German Wheats (12 entries)
Table 10: English Ales (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Bobby Mierzejwski Co-Brewer: Larry Bentley | Mark It Zero | 13A: Dark Mild | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Larry Bentley Co-Brewer: Bobby Mierzejwski | Careful, Man, There's A Beverage Here! | 13A: Dark Mild | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Larry Bentley | Doris | 11C: Strong Bitter | Garden State Homebrewers |
| HM | Joe Griffin | Dead Parrot | 11A: Ordinary Bitter | Garden State Homebrewers |
Table 11: Scottish & Irish (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Greg Manderski | Dubliner | 15B: Irish Stout | Garden State Home Brewers Club |
| 2nd | Mike Ultee | Mike's Irish Red Ale 253A | 15A: Irish Red Ale | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Joseph Eddy | Beer | 14C: Scottish Export | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
| HM | Tom Damratoski | Glendolough | 15B: Irish Stout | Garden State Homebrewers |
Table 12: Stouts (7 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Bobby Mierzejwski | Husky Patriots | 20B: American Stout | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Greg Besso | Hudson's Homemade Foreign Extra Stout | 16D: Foreign Extra Stout | Bergen County Brew Crew |
| 3rd | Daniel Perrigan MHP | Silk | 16C: Tropical Stout | Morris Area Society of Homebrewers |
Table 13: Strong Ales (6 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Keith Blanchard MHP | Delayed Gratification | 17B: Old Ale | Morris Area Society of Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Christopher Akocs MHP | There Can Be Only One | 17C: Wee Heavy | Garden State Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Christopher Akocs MHP | Your Fathers Brothers Nephews Former Roomate | 22B: American Strong Ale | Garden State Homebrewers |
Table 14: American Pales (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Robert Guthner | Rip Curl | 18A: Blonde Ale | Ocean County Home Brewers |
| 2nd | Dan Taylor | Citralorian | 18B: American Pale Ale | |
| 3rd | Peter Cooke | Grandma's Perfume | 18B: American Pale Ale | Garden State Homebrewers |
Table 15: American Amber & Brown (6 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Dave Taylor | By The Book Brown | 19C: American Brown Ale | Keystone Hops |
| 2nd | Todd Porter MHP | Amber Smashed Face | 19A: American Amber Ale | Ocean County Home Brewers |
| 3rd | Todd Rupell MHP | Nauti Amber - Avg Bru Amber | 19A: American Amber Ale | The Brü Club |
Table 16: IPAs (17 entries)
Table 17: Sours & Wilds (13 entries)
Table 18: Belgian Ales (12 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Raymond Monahan MHP | Wit Now | 24A: Witbier | Morris Area Society of Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Jim Burkitt | Binary Sunrise | 24A: Witbier | |
| 3rd | Jim Clapp | Ginger Or Maryann? | 25B: Saison | Keystone Hops |
Table 19: Monastics (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Eric Blaine MHP | Fourth Coming Of Arcularius The Elder | 26D: Belgian Dark Strong Ale | Morris Area Society of Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Bob Wargo | Bleu Clown | 26D: Belgian Dark Strong Ale | Garden State Hombrewers |
| 3rd | Greg Winterburn MHP | Toasted Monk | 26C: Belgian Tripel | |
| HM | Keith Blanchard MHP | Cerberus | 26C: Belgian Tripel | Morris Area Society of Homebrewers |
Table 20: Historic & Specialty (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Joseph Eddy | Beer | LSX5: New Zealand Pilsner | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
| 2nd | Barry Polhemus | Bridge Grodziskie | 27A5: Piwo Grodziskie | Garden State HomeBrewers |
| 3rd | David Grosch | Batch 16 | 27A6: Pre-Prohibition Lager | Garden State Homebrewers |
| HM | Dave Taylor | Pierworództwo Piwo | 27A5: Piwo Grodziskie | Keystone Hops |
Table 21: Fruit Beers (10 entries)
Table 22: Spiced/Herb/Veggie Beers (7 entries)
Table 23: Smoked & Barrel Aged (7 entries)
Table 24: Cider (9 entries)
Table 25: Traditional Meads (4 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Steven Doremus MHP | Sweet Mead | M1C: Sweet Mead | Sussex County United Brewers & Alchemists (SCUBA) |
| 2nd | Ryan Guasp | Eighty Five | M1B: Semi-Sweet Mead | |
| 3rd | Ilija Melentijevic | Flagship | M1B: Semi-Sweet Mead |
Table 26: Fruit Meads (8 entries)
Table 27: Spiced & Specialty Meads (9 entries)
Judging Sessions
BrewHardware 1
07/14/2025 12:00 AM, EDT — 08/02/2025 4:08 PM, EDT
Pickup.
BrewHardware 2
07/14/2025 12:00 AM, EDT — 08/02/2025 4:08 PM, EDT
Pickup at BH.
MASH 1
07/14/2025 12:00 AM, EDT — 08/02/2025 4:08 PM, EDT
TBD.
MASH 2
07/14/2025 12:00 AM, EDT — 08/02/2025 4:08 PM, EDT
TBD.
MASH 3
07/14/2025 12:00 AM, EDT — 08/02/2025 4:08 PM, EDT
pickup.
MASH 4
07/14/2025 12:00 AM, EDT — 08/02/2025 4:08 PM, EDT
pickup.
MASH 5
07/14/2025 12:00 AM, EDT — 08/02/2025 4:08 PM, EDT
pickup.
Friday judging
07/25/2025 5:30 PM, EDT.
Saturday AM judging
07/26/2025 8:00 AM, EDT.
Saturday Flex Session
07/26/2025 11:30 AM, EDT.
Saturday PM judging
07/26/2025 12:30 PM, EDT.
Account Registration Closed
Account registrations accepted 04/26/2022 12:00 AM, EDT through 07/14/2025 12:00 AM, EDT.
Registrations for judges or stewards accepted 05/27/2024 12:00 AM, EDT through 08/02/2025 4:08 PM, EDT.
Entry Registration Closed
The competition entry limit has been reached.
Entry Drop-Off Closed
Entry bottles accepted at drop-off locations 06/28/2025 10:00 AM, EDT — 07/11/2025 5:00 PM, EDT.
Please pay attention to the notes provided for each drop-off location. There could be earlier deadlines for some drop-off locations listed, particular hours when entries are accepted, certain individuals to leave your entries with, etc. All entrants are responsible for reading the information provided by the organizers for each drop-off location.