Grillfest

Winter is for extravagance: raucous holidays, grand traditions, and indulgent food. The hearths ‘round which we gather warm feet and fingers; heavy stews warm souls. But summer is different. In summer, we strip. Its holidays are simple — think explosions and flags — its hearths are grills, and its food is elemental. In a word: barbecue. While restaurants’ burgers border on baroque, when barbecuing is at its best — that is, at home — we needn’t gild the lily. Or rather, truffle-butter it. Simply charred and served nearly nude, transcendence comes easy with a home-grilled burger or dog. Keep it basic: sun’s out, buns out. That’s how it should be. But when the grill is lit, everyone becomes an expert, know-it-all moths drawn to its mesquite flame, poking and prodding, tonging and testing and full of advice for what, ironically, should be as easy as fire and time. So stand your ground, pit master. We’ll help you tame the hungry crowd with a crate of grill-ready fixins designed to make your backyard barbecuing as easy as it is delicious.

Platter at Southern Soul Barbeque in St. Simons Island, GA

Southern Soul Barbeque

Southern Soul Barbeque Sauced Pork

Grilled Cobb Salad Recipe

Sweet Georgia Soul // Southern Soul Barbeque // St. Simons, GA

In a state that knows its barbecue, Southern Soul is something special: Georgia’s island-bound monument to the barbecue sandwich. Knuckles and burnt ends, chicken and sausage. Turkey? Sure. Pimento cheese? Why not. Tofu? Fat chance. If they can cook it low and slow and stuff it in a bun, they’ll serve it, generously smeared with this special sauce. An old family recipe (aren’t they all?) of smooth brown sugar, tangy tomato and a hint of mustard, we like it best with slow-cooked shoulder: rub with spices, top with onions, soak in stock, and set to low. The hardest part is a six-hour wait. The sauce makes it worth it. Try it with pulled pork or this easy Grilled Cobb Salad. 

Fast 5 Uses

1. Barbecue Chicken
2. Barbecue Corn
3. Barbecue Wings
4. Grilled Barbecue Chicken Pizza
5. Douse Over Nachos

Low Country Shrimp Roll Recipe

Georgia Crab Boil Low Country Seasoning // Southern Soul Barbeque // St. Simons, GA

Every state’s barbecue has its secret touch, from Kansas City’s sweet sauces to Texas’s slow-cooked brisket. Most, unfortunately, stay that way: tight-lipped pitmasters keep their tricks close to the vest. Not here. This gas-station-turned-grill is a mecca for Georgia’s famous dry-rubbed ‘cue, and lucky for you, happy to share. Their rubs make a perfect marinade, a lip-tingling replacement for the salt on your Bloody Mary glass, or, if you’re crazy, both.  This Low Country Seasoning? Perfect for a shellfish boil or a shrimp roll. 

Fast 5 Uses:

1. Peel-n-Eat Shrimp
2. Rim A Bloody Mary Glass
3. Blackened Fish Tacos 
4. Sprinkle Into Melted Butter or Mayo For Shellfish Dippin’
5. Use To Season Tortilla Chips, Potato Salad or Anywhere You’d Use Old Bay. 

Recipe:

Low Country Shrimp Roll

Grilled Lemon Whiskey Sour

Fast 5 Uses

1. Crab/Shrimp/Lobster Roll with Georgia Crab Boil Seasoning
2. Georgia Crab Boil Seasoning Dusted Fries or Blackened Fish Tacos
3. Rim A Bloody Mary With Georgia Crab Boil Seasoning
4. Sprinkle Georgia Crab Boil Seasoning Into Melted Butter or Mayo For Shellfish Dippin’
5. Georgia Crab Boil Seasoning On Fresh Corn

Grilled Thrive Wings Recipe

Special Sauce // Thrive Sauce Co. // Portland, OR

Originating from a Food Truck in the PDX, owner, chef and sauce boss Erica perfected her line of special sauces while looking for more of a spicy condiment, than a hot sauce. In her words “They provide flavourful heat but aren’t meant to hurt you”. In our words? This stuff tastes good on almost anything that comes off a grill. We dig it doused over grilled chicken and peppers or in a kicked-up salad dressing.

From the Maker:

​Each bottle of Special Sauce contains 80% vegetables, making them low in fat and calorie. Our guilt-free sauces go great on pretty much anything! They can be used instead of ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and salad dressing!​

Fast 5 Uses:

1. Sandwiches (Mix Thrive Sauce With Mayo or Yogurt For A Quick Spread)
2. Thrive Sauce Over Eggs In the AM
3. Roast Potatoes Tossed In Thrive Sauce
4. Fish Tacos With Thrive Sauce
5. Mix Thrive Sauce Into Veggie / Beef Burgers

Recipes Using Thrive Special Sauce:

Sloppy Joe’s

Summer Potato Salad

Thrive Chicken Wings

Southwest Coleslaw

Zesty Mexican Corn Dip

Grilled Lemon Whisky Sour Recipe

Smoked Maple Sour Cocktail Mixer // Yes Cocktail Co. // Paso Robles, CA

Smoke doesn’t have to stop at the grill. Using 100% all-natural fruits, herbs, botanicals, and spices Yes Cocktail Co. helps make impressing your friends with adult beverages much easier. With notes of rich maple, fresh citrus and hickory smoke, this nectar of the grilling gods will have your guests saying “Yes, I’ll have another”. Can you say smoky, maple-y, Grilled Lemon Whisky Sour?

From The Maker:

"This smoked maple sour mix complements all your favorite spirits with smoky sophistication — add a splash to your old fashioned or craft a whiskey sour (recipe on the bottle). Perfect for those late night fireside chats you hope never end. The night is young (and so are you)."

3 Quick Cocktails:

The Classic:

1 oz. Smoked Maple Sour Cocktail Mixer

2 oz. spirit (we dig whiskey, bourbon, rye)

Optional, a dash of bitters, a squeeze of citrus or add a herb. (Check this handy chart below)

Over Ice Try:

2 oz. Whiskey, 1 oz. Smoked Maple Sour Cocktail Mixer, 1/2 oz. lemon juice, muddle with a Sprig of Rosemary, top with ice and soda.

2 oz. tequila/mezcal, 1 oz. Smoked Maple Sour Cocktail Mixer, 1/2 oz. lime or grapefruit juice, top with ice and soda. 

Gin Fizz

2 oz. Gin, 1 oz. Smoked Maple Sour Cocktail Mixer, 3/4 oz. lemon juice, 1 egg white, top with ice and soda.

Pro Tip:

How to make a Gin Fizz? 

Shake together the gin, fresh lemon juice, Smoked Maple Sour Cocktail Mixer, and egg white for 10–15 seconds, add ice and shake for 25–30 more seconds to make it cold, then pour it into two glasses. When you top off each glass with soda water, the carbonation combines with the egg white to make a frothy foam topping.

Garnish with a lemon twist. 

PS: Smoked Mojito? More Idea? Use this trusty infograph:

Nashville Hot Beef Jerky // People’s Choice Jerky, Los Angeles, CA

From a four-generation Angeleno butcher dynasty comes this Jerky inspired by the Hot Chicken houses of Nashville. Whole cuts, marinated, slow-cooked (and we mean sloooow — 5 hours at least), gets transformed into a cure-all, perfect for snacking on or stirring into any dish for a stampede of flavor. The chicken is swapped out for 100% American beef but the fiery cayenne pepper burn and smoky finish remain. From the Music City to the City of Angels, the people agree, this is some choice jerky.

From The Maker: 

Thick cuts of 100% American Beef are lacquered with a spicy paste of cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Once infused with the blistering heat, the jerky is slow cooked for a minimum of five hours. The meat soaks up the fiery spice blend which translates into the final dried product leaving an after burn that scorches the senses.

Pure, unadulterated heat that tastes as good as it burns.

Meet Mark. He’s the 3rd Generation

Go Behind The Scenes At People’s Choice:

Grilled Cobb Salad With Poppy Popcorn "Croutons" Recipe

Jalapeño Cheddar Popcorn // Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn // Asheville, CA

When you’re looking for a snack to pair with an icy beverage, shelve the boring beer nuts and sub in Poppy. Handcrafted in Asheville, a town known for, arts, outdoors, craft beer and now, popcorn, Poppy is easily one of our favorite small-batch makers in the US. From Salted Caramel to Everything Bagel, Cinnamon Bourbon to Southern Dill Pickle, Poppy has a Baskin Robbins level of flavor variety. Make no mistake, there is nothing mass-made, every bag is crafted with high-quality ingredients and non-GMO Corn (not to mention sleek design). We reach for the Jalapeño Cheddar an ode to the flavors of Tex-Mex and a perfect snack while tending the grill. 

Beyond outta the bag, 

Don’t sleep on using it as a cheesy sub for croutons in a salad or to add a little crunch to these elote tacos. 

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