Thomas Garza
Audio By Carbonatix
Every fall, the scent of funnel cakes wafts through the air in Fair Park during the State Fair of Texas. Wanda “Fernie” Winter, who died two years ago, started working at the State Fair of Texas in 1969 and in 1980 began selling Fernie’s Funnel Cakes.
The decades-long fair favorite is now bottled in booze form and sold on grocery store shelves.
Fernie’s daughters, Christi Erpillo and Johnna McKee, have continued the family legacy at the fair but this year are embarking on a new venture: Fernie’s Funnel Cake Cream, a wine-based cocktail inspired by the iconic fried food. A 750-ml bottle rings in at 13.9% ABV and will sell for around $15-$17, depending on the retailer.
The first bottles of Fernie’s Funnel Cake Cream will be available at Central Markets in North Texas this week, with deliveries scheduled for Goody Goody, H-E-B and Spec’s in the following weeks. Or you can stop by any one of the family’s stands at the fair for a cocktail from Sept. 29 through Oct. 22.
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Fernie’s held a tasting recently of the new funnel cake concoction.
Lauren Drewes Daniels
The family behind Fernie’s Funnel Cakes went with a wine-based cocktail so the beverage could be sold at the fair, where only beer and wine are allowed.
“I read that 42 million people annually attend fairs in the United States and Canada,” says Erpillo, who plans to wholesale the product to other fairs. “So, we wanted to cater to all these diverse venues, from fairs to convenience stores and grocery outlets. There are around 2,500 liquor licenses in the state of Texas, but there are a staggering 50,000 convenience stores. The math was crystal clear to me.”
Erpillo got the idea for the funnel cake liquor after seeing an ad for a king cake liquor in a trade magazine. Her husband, Bert Erpillo, works in the liquor industry and together they and Johnna began the journey of creating funnel cake cream.
The team tapped Specialty Blends in Dripping Springs to craft their wine.
As for the taste: it’s good. It would certainly enhance a cup of coffee during brunch and works well alone as a chilled shot. You could mix it with vodka and Kahlua for a White Russian-like cocktail. The flavor is light and balanced with a touch of vanilla.
