The British don’t half love a barbecue, which is curious considering the weather is so consistently inconsistent. The second that spring shows signs of turning into that two-week window of sunshine that we call summer, out comes the charcoal, the metal griddles, the meat – and let’s not forget the booze. When the temperature struggles to break into double figures, it’s the perfect time to break out the Jack Daniel’s. Distilled in the barbecue heartland of Tennessee, Jack Daniel’s deep, warm flavour goes with meat like nothing else, and it’s also the perfect antidote to a slight al fresco chill.
These days the sweet smoky scent of sizzling steaks, sausages and burgers is no longer confined to outdoor gatherings in gardens and parks. Barbecue is hot stuff right now, and there’s an ever-growing rank of great restaurants bringing the flame-grilled fun indoors. London is just as enthused about barbecue as they are over in the States, and our capital boasts a number of world-class barbecue joints. VICE’s food channel Munchies premieres their new BBQ Road Trip series, brought to you by Jack Daniel’s, investigating barbecue on both sides of the pond – and they’ve deployed London lad Tom Wright on a mission to uncover the best transatlantic meat magicians.
The first instalment of Tom’s BBQ Road Trip (live now) explores the barbecue joints of his hometown, where the likes of MEATmission, one-legged former butcher The Rib Man and madcap Matt Harris give Tom the low-down on grilled meat excellence in London. On the US leg of his trip (episode two, coming in November) he hits the highway, seeking out the legendary pitmasters who are behind barbecue’s place at the top table of crowd-pleasing food. Tom will travel to Tennessee – the home of US barbecue culture and the inspiration behind Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey. Tell us that’s not a prospect that gets your juices flowing…
