Today, Ian and I are headed to the Moxie Festival in Lisbon Falls, where I am participating in the recipe contest. This is one of my entries, and I think it could be a real contender! Ian said it might actually be the best thing I’ve ever made!

The Moxie Festival is a bittersweet event for me — and that’s not a reference to Moxie’s bitter aftertaste. My dad used to take my sister and I down to see the parade and get some Moxie ice cream from the Kennebec Fruit Company, which also hosts quite a bit of Moxie nostalgia and memorabilia, and probably does a large portion of their yearly revenue during the 3-day event. The actual Moxie Museum resides at the Union Fair Grounds, as Moxie was invented in Union, but the Kennebec Fruit Company gives them a run for their money.

Five Pepper Moxie Hot Wings

2 lbs wing sections

1 cup brown sugar

2 cans Moxie

1 medium onion, pureed

5 cloves of garlic, minced



2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 c. ketchup

1/4 c. prepared yellow mustard

1/4 c. sriracha

2 dried chipotle chiles, pulverized

1 tsp ancho chile powder

1 c. flour

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp black pepper

Puree together Moxie, brown sugar, onion, garlic, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, sriracha, ancho chiles and chile powder in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat until reduced by half. Combine flour, paprika and black pepper in a bowl and toss wings until well-coated. Preheat oil in a deep fryer or a saucepan or wok to about 350°F and cook wings 10-12 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F as well. Remove wings to paper towel to drain, then toss in sauce. Place on a rack on a cookie sheet and bake until they temp at 165°F. Serve with Ranch or Bleu Cheese dressing if you can’t take the heat.