From October 27-28, over 100 championship barbecue teams from around the world will descend on Lynchburg, TN for the 29th Annual Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue.
Once there, teams compete in seven categories: Pork Ribs, Pork Shoulder/Butts, Beef Brisket, Chicken, Dessert, Cook’s Choice (Home Cookin’ from the Homeland for internationals) and Jack Daniel’s Sauce. Winners will savor their share of more than $45,000 in cash and prizes.
Throughout the weekend, about 25,000- 30,000 spectators will descend on Lynchburg to watch the spectacle of competitive barbecuing and enjoy additional festivities such as a music stage, clogging, the country dog costume contest, games and butt (as in pork) bowling, and many other Vendors.
Jack Daniel’s is the world’s best selling whiskey and every single drop is made in the small Tennessee town of Lynchburg.
Jack Daniel’s is the world’s oldest registered distillery in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Throughout the Barbecue and every day (excluding major holidays), the distillery offers tours between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
To qualify, domestic teams must have won a state championship with a minimum of 25 teams entered, or a competition with more than 50 teams battling in the categories of Pork Ribs, Pork Butts, Chicken and Beef Brisket. The final competitors are then selected during a blind drawing of all eligible teams in August.
Here's the complete list of those teams selected to compete in this year's Invitational contest:
DOMESTIC TEAMS
AK State Auto: Rockin W Smokers
AL: The Smokin’ C’s BBQ
AR: Metro Appliances & More Cooking Team
AZ: Hickory and Spice BBQ
CA: Sharpe Gourmet Cooking Wood
CO: Lucky’s Q
CT: Ack-Que
DC State Auto: Aporkalypes Now
DE: Big D’s BBQ
FL: Swamp Boys
GA: Elite BBQ Smokers
IA: Grills Gone Wild Iowa
ID State Auto: Got Smoke Bar-B-Que
IL: All In Que
IN: Thunder Hog BBQ
KS: R Butts R Smoking
KY: Grey Street BBQ
LA: Cajun Blaze
MA State Auto: Smokin’ Hoggz BBQ
MD: Rockin Robyns BBQ
ME: Insane Swine BBQ
MI: Spittin’ Feathers BBQ
MN: City Slickers BBQ
MO: Oklahoma Joe’s Serious Que
MS: Victory Lane BBQ
MT State Auto: Parrothead Smokers
NC: Palmetto Pitmasters
NE: 913 BBQ
NH State Auto: Smokin’ Hoggz BBQ
NJ: Top Gun Barbecue
NM: Smokin Mo’s BBQ
NV: Rooftop Barbeque
NY: Good Smoke BBQ
OH: Blue Chip BBQ
OK: Butcher BBQ
OR: Smokin’ Timbers Northwest
PA: Drilling & Grilling BBQ Team
SC: Balls Out BBQ
SD: Shiggin & Grinnin
TN: Hotty Totty BBQ Crew
TX: Lil Earl’s Butt Naked BBQ
UT: Team America
VA: 4:20 Q
VT State Auto: Blazin’ Buttz BBQ
WA: Slowpokes Grill & Smoke
WI: Wicked Smoke BBQ
WV State Auto: Rocky Top Barbeque
WY State Auto: Smokin Hot Butts BBQ
Wild Card: Jo-Bawb’s BBQ
Home State Draw: Shig Ninja BBQ
Home State Draw: FYC Barbeque
Home State Draw: PB&Js BBQ Team
Home State Draw: Montana Outlaw BBQ
Home State Draw: Who Cares BBQ
Home State Draw: Helping U BBQ
Home State Draw: Local Smoke BBQ
Home State Draw: Swine Thyme U.S.A.
Home State Draw: Four Smoking Guys
Home State Draw: B-S Bbq Outlaws
Home State Draw: High On The Hawg
Home State Draw: 3N1 Q
Home State Draw: You Que’d Me All Night Long
2016 American Royal GC: Iowa’s Smokey D’s BBQ
2016 Jack Daniels GC: Cool Smoke
2017 HLRBBQ GC: Iowa’s Smokey D’s BBQ
2017 MIM GC: Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q
Seven Wins: Big Poppa Smokers
Seven Wins: Buckshot BBQ
Seven Wins: Checkered Flag 500 BBQ
Seven Wins: Clark Crew BBQ
Seven Wins: Getting’ Basted
Seven Wins: Iowa’s Smokey D’s BBQ
Seven Wins: Redneck Scientific
Seven Wins: Rio Valley Meat
Seven Wins: Shake ‘n Bake BBQ
Seven Wins: The American Dream BBQ Team
INTERNATIONAL TEAMS
Australia: Eureka Smoke
Austria: Grillkunst
Salzburger Barbecue Bulls
Belgium: Smoke on the Wild Side
Canada: Q’n Canucks
Rocky Mountain Smokers
Smokin’ Boys & Hot Grills
Swine Fellows
Costa Rica: GRILLdroids
Denmark: BBQ Team Smoke It All
France: Ralph B. Gray BBQ Team
Germany: Black Forest
Dragon BBQ
Hela Grillteam GutGlut e.V.
Sieben Schwaben
Italy: Sticky Fingers Barbecue Team
Netherlands: De Vliegende Hollander
Norway: Grillet.no BBQ Team
Poland: Polish BBQ Kings
Puerto Rico: BBQ Freaks
Sweden: Slow Joe & Crew
Switzerland: Grill Ueli Team
United Kingdom: Bunch of Swines