Fazio's Chocolate Scores Repeat Win at Wisconsin State Fair

ELM GROVE, WI (August 14, 2025) — For the second consecutive year, Fazio’s Sweet Moments Sweet Life, a family-run chocolate boutique based in Elm Grove, won first place and Best of Show at the Wisconsin State Fair for their hand-crafted artisan chocolates. Their winning entry, “Cheers from Wisconsin,” was inspired by the classic old-fashioned cocktail, with flavors of bourbon, orange, and cherry.

Cindy Karrels, the chocolatier and lead creator of the company’s confections, selected the entry to suit the Fair’s theme for 2025, “Digging Local.” She says, “We utilize many local Wisconsin products on a regular basis. For the state fair competition, we highlighted dark bourbon ganache made using spirits from Milwaukee’s own Great Lakes Distillery, orange ganache, and dried cherries from Door County.” The confection is dipped in milk chocolate, then topped with chips of dried orange, cherry, and rock candy to evoke the muddled fruit and ice cubes of the classic cocktail.

Fazio’s competed in the Grand Champion Eats & Treats category, which is open to small-business food producers. The Fazio’s team closed the shop on the day of judging, each employee taking a time slot to offer samples to fairgoers before the judging took place. Entries were judged on flavor, creativity/uniqueness, product appeal/consistency, and packaging. “Cheers from Wisconsin” was praised by the judges for its visual appeal as well as its exquisite taste. “We get this a lot,” says Cindy, “that it looks like it’s too pretty to eat … we take a lot of pride in making something that tastes as good as it looks.”

Last year’s winning chocolate, “Decade of Decadence,” was a molded chocolate; this year’s was a layered ganache, poured in frames and then sliced with a guitar cutter; and Cindy has ideas for next year. “There’s any number of things we can do,” she says. “The competition committee has challenged us to three-peat. Team Fazio would like to accept the challenge!”

Cindy owns and operates Fazio’s with her husband, Mark; the shop is now in its 12th year. “Cheers from Wisconsin” is part of Fazio’s Holiday collection and is on sale at their Elm Grove shop now through the Christmas holiday season.