Fairfax 2015 Entry Captures Top Honors at Guns & Hoses Chili Cook-off

The World Police & Fire Games front office team of George Hahn, Jay Hall, Becky McKinney and Drew Mitchell took top honors in last month’s Guns & Hoses Chili Cook-off competition, as part of Oktoberfest Reston 2015, at Reston Town Center.  Team “Limp Brisket,” captured the $500 top prize for their beef-based creation, which featured a 15-hour smoked brisket and a signature beer brew created just for the 2015 World Police & Fire Games, by Carlo Carrillo, a Fairfax County Firefighter! The team defeated five other competitors in a blind taste-test from a panel of culinary judges.

The Fairfax 2015 front office featured a second entry as well, the ‘Chili of Heroes’ chili, created by Jaime Popik, Carmela Moon, Tony Shobe and Jerome Williams, all public safety officers in Fairfax County. “We wanted everyone to be able to taste our chili” said Jaime Popik, Director, Ceremonies and Special Events for Fairfax 2015, “Our chili was vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and kosher friendly”.  The primary ingredients were three kinds of beans, zucchini, squash and soy crumbs. The team went through three pots of chili over the course of the event, so the theory worked.

The Misdemeanor Meat Mixture took home the People’s Choice Award with their ‘So good it’s a felony’ chili recipe.  Other competition participants included Two Rednecks and a Beer Wench from the Fairfax County Police Department, ‘Fully Involved’ from the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department and the Fairfax Fire Safety Officers from Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department.  All of the teams lived up to their reputations of fighting fire with fire.  Each of the featured recipes was distinctly different, offering the full range of tastes, textures and ingredients.  

A major attraction at Oktoberfest Reston, the Guns ‘N Hoses Chili Cook-off was sponsored by the 2015 World Police & Fire Games.  Staffed by the Games team and volunteers, the Fairfax 2015 information booth was also busy all day long, signing up event volunteers and recruiting athletes to participate in the Games.

In the end, everybody was a winner.  While Limp Brisket walked away with the top prize, the unquestioned victors were the thousands of Oktoberfest patrons who enjoyed all the teams’ culinary creations.