The food tour that is on a mission to redefine BBQ is growing in excitement, cities and styles, and is now in its third year. The ground-breaking BBQ tour started by Brady Lowe, Founder of Cochon 555, will be returning to Louisville (September 7) and St. Louis (September 14), in addition to inaugural stops in Chicago, where it will kick off Labor Day weekend (August 30), Austin (September 28) and Washington, DC (October 12). Five chefs in each market will put their BBQ chops to the test in this friendly but fierce competition that celebrates local family farms and heritage breed pigs.
Similar to Cochon 555, Heritage BBQ presented by Goose Island Beer Co. is an all-inclusive event, a stand-up tasting where five notable chefs will each be given a 200 pound heritage breed pig to create six dishes for a crowd of pork-loving enthusiasts. A panel of 20 respected judges will vote for the city’s “BBQ King or Queen.” The events raise awareness for responsible family farms, culinary schools, local food producers, craft brewers, great winemakers, and prestigious distillers wanting to celebrate with an amazing food event during National Bourbon Month. The cause is local, the flavors are global, the talent is unbridled.
Abe Conlon of Fat Rice, Carlos Gaytan of Mexique and Chrissy Camba of Laughing Bird (Chicago), Tyler Morris of Rye on Market, Levon Wallace and Michael Paley of 21C Museum Hotels (Louisville),Jennifer Cleveland and Eric Heath of Cleveland-Heath, Josh Galliano of The Libertine and Patrick Connolly of Basso (St. Louis), George Pagonis of Kapnos, Kyle Bailey of Birch & Barley and Joe Palma of Bourbon Steak (Washington DC), and Ned Elliot of Foreign & Domestic, Daniel Olivella of Barlata and Paul Qui and Dustin Harvey of East Side King (Austin). The Pop-Up Butcher Shop is returning this year, including butchers Rob Levitt of The Butcher & Larder (Chicago) and Bryan Butler of Salt & Time (Austin), and will benefit a local culinary school with the support of Williams-Sonoma.
Additionally this year, Heritage BBQ will debut “BBQ TRADITIONS,” a series of pop-up stations featuring notable chefs serving one dish that best exemplifies a culinary tradition and BBQ culture from anywhere in the world. These BBQ Styles from around the world will be paired with wonderful wines, brews, and spirits. Guests will discover globally inspired BBQ such as Braai from Africa, Char Siu from China, Lechonera from Puerto Rico, Churrasco from Brazil or Barbacoa from Mexico, as well as regional American BBQ styles from the Carolina’s to Kansas City. BBQ TRADITIONS is an edible education on the finest social tradition in human history and the Heritage BBQ tour motivates grilling communities worldwide to support local food producers, and to break ground on a new hyper-local, globally-themed BBQ culture.
“This is the new Q that celebrates hundreds of grilling – and smoking -traditions from around the world. We are on a mission to redefine BBQ as social eating, the act of gathering around fire, making friends and eating responsibly-raised animals. Together we work around the clock to preserve timeless family traditions from all over the globe. The bottom line is to host an event that develops the conversation of local food and heritage pigs, thus creating long-term growth, jobs on farms and better food choices for the future,” explains Brady Lowe, founder of Cochon 555. “We are passionate about promoting food sources that support a more natural, sustainable food system and for the first time in five years, and we are excited to announce Goose Island Beer Co. as a presenting sponsor of the Heritage BBQ series.”
Tickets for general admission start at $100, and VIP tickets for early admission are $200. To purchase tickets, visit the website www.cochon555.com.
Guests will enjoy a 1,400+ pound all-you-can-eat showcase of heritage breed pig in the “World’s First Global BBQ Tasting.” The all-inclusive tasting features special experiences including: The Goose Nest, an area featuring the rare Bourbon County Beers and the Vintage Ales of Goose Island Beer Co., a live butchering demonstration, and to celebrate National Bourbon Month, a “Perfect Manhattan” Bourbon Bar featuring Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace, Breckenridge Bourbon, Templeton Rye, Hirsch and Luxardo. Additionally there will be a TarTare Bar featuring Creekstone Farms, an artisan cheese bar and a portfolio tasting of Crispin Ciders, amazing wines, and a Mezcal Bar featuring Fidencio and Mezcales de Leyenda. Before awards, James Beard Award Winner, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams will be hosting a special edition “Ice Cream Social” Swine & Sweets signature dessert course.
About Heritage BBQ by Cochon 555
Started in 2012 in an effort to bridge the gap between family farms and all categories of BBQ restaurants, Heritage BBQ by Cochon 555, is the first national BBQ competition dedicated to supporting a new direction for heritage breed pigs by expanding the conversation to a global economy. Created by Cochon 555 Founder Brady Lowe, Heritage BBQ engages existing BBQ restaurants in the local and sustainable food conversation taking place nationwide while simultaneously breaking ground on a new hyper-local, globally-themed, farm-supporting BBQ.
About Cochon 555 & The US Tour
Cochon 555 was created in 2009 by Taste Network’s Brady Lowe in response to the lack of consumer education around heritage breeds. The festival is a national event series that takes place in 16 major markets. In addition to its flagship event, Cochon 555, the Cochon brand now offers a variety of experiences each year in the family of events. The events with national followings include Heritage BBQ, Heritage Fire, EPIC Cochon, All-Star Cochon and Cochon Island. Since its launch in 2009, the tour now serves over 10,000 guests annually and works with over 1,500 pioneers all supporting a better food system. Known for creating an impact on local agriculture by amplifying the conversation of heritage breed pigs through consumption, events include notable sommeliers, restaurateurs, chefs, media, consumers and independent business owners looking to champion a premium, responsible lifestyle. For more details about the events, visit www.cochon555.com or follow @cochon555 on Twitter.
