Was last year's Father's Day a bust? Whether you just waited too late, got dad another dreaded necktie - or worse yet - NOTHING, you should definitely make it up to him this time around. Forget the socks and cufflinks and find something befitting dad's uniqueness - just peruse our handy dandy Father's Day gift guide! 

Does dad love the outdoors? Grandpa loves to golf? Husband loves to hunt? We've got you covered. 

For the Golfer:

He's looked forward to retirement for 18 reasons. When gramps hits the green, he shouldn't have to go empty handed. We've heard a little protein between holes can take that bogey to a birdie - so help the old man out.  Our Pacific Mountain Farms jerky sticks will fit perfectly in his golf bag. 

For the Cyclist:

Does your husband do double time on his bike - riding to work daily to save money & the environment?  Has he been spending his evenings teaching junior how to ride without training wheels?  Sounds like he deserves the reward for cyclist - and maybe even dad of the year. Fuel his ride this Father's Day with some Buffalo Bob's exotic jerky to keep him pedaling. 

For the Hunter:

This one's pretty self explanatory. We've got two words for you: Ammo Cans. You can thank us later. 

For the Grillmaster:

Is there no where else your pops would rather be than stoking the coals or the propane on a summer weekend? By all means, this Father's Day, give the man something worth grilling! We've got Reindeer, Caribou, Boar, Elk & Venison sausages to tantalize his tastebuds and win him over. 

For the Adventurer:

Maybe the special man in your life doesn't want to be beholden to hobbies. Or perhaps he has too many to count. Aren't all men a little wild at heart? The adventurous guy who loves to try new things absolutely NEEDS to be a part of our Dynasty Club. For a truly special Father's Day, nothing else will do for the dad who has it all and does it all. Whether you Join the Dynasty for him for a month, 3 months, or a year, he'll remember this Father's Day forever. 

We've got high hopes that this year will be the best Father's Day across the board...and we think our jerky's a good way to make that happen! 

There's just 11 days left 'til Christmas. We know some of you have your trees trimmed and gifts wrapped - but then there's always the others - the procrastinators, the too-busy-with-work, the perfectionists who want to give NOTHING but the best. So we thought we'd write up a little Christmas gift guide for those of you who need a little push in the right direction. 

For the Culinary Mastermind: 

For those in your life who love spending time in the kitchen, or who know how to rock a charcuterie board, they'd be stoked to get some of our perfectly themed Spicy Reindeer Sausage in their stocking. Want to go a bit bigger? Our Summer Sausage gift pack will come in handy when they're hosting this year's New Year's Eve party - or they can keep it all for themselves! We've got a great collection of spices & rubs to choose from too! 

For the Outdoorsman: 

Does your gift recipient love nothing more than being out in nature? This Christmas, stock them with plenty of snacks for their upcoming adventures. Does your loved one love to fish? We've got a variety of Fish Jerky - perfect for the avid angler.  More of the hiking/trekking type? We've got plenty of snack packs of all the essentials for that next backpacking trip! 

For the Alcohol Aficionado: 

Know someone who's a connoisseur of cocktails, wine, and beer? We've got the perfect gift for them! Our Alcohol Jerky is the way to go! You can buy it in a delicious Six Pack, or pick your poison - be it Tequila, Pinot Noir or a nice Dark Ale. 

Hope our little roundup sends you in the right direction. We're pretty sure it will. And, at any rate, we're pretty sure Santa would appreciate some jerky on his plate - skip the cookies - this year. And honestly, when it comes to giving the gift of Jerky, you can't really go wrong. 

Can't quite decide what to get? Or shopping REALLY last minute? There's always Gift Cards! 

Dads are worth celebrating. At least Richard Nixon thought so when he made Father's Day a national holiday in 1972. And when it comes to Father's Day, folks across the globe have all sorts of traditions. In Thailand,  dads get Canna Lilies, and apparently in Germany, men load up wagons of beer and liqour and pull them into the woods. Here in the U.S. it varies - Dad might recieve a card, the traditional necktie, or a new tool. Or if you've accepted Jimmy Kimmel's Father's Day challenge, a big surprise. 

But the biggest surprise of all for your pops might be doing something a little different this year. Something that he can enjoy for days, weeks, months to come. Something he can brag to his buddies about. You guessed it - Jerky. 

Apparently only the cool kids are doing it. If you're crafty in the kitchen you can follow in the footsteps of the likes of Gronk and Richard Sherman.  They're giving their dads jerky neckties. What's even better than a necktie? An ammo can filled with his favorite snack that he can display proudly in his office, or possibly some alcohol jerky to enjoy with his friends. We've got a whole page of our store dedicated to the perfect Father's Day gift, and you can't go wrong with any of our options. 

Here's hoping all the dads out there feel really special this year. If you think your kids need a hint on what to get you, feel free to email them this blog post. You won't regret it. 

Have plans to be Irish for a day on March 17th this year? Whether you’re determined to wear (and drink) green, or avoiding the St. Patrick’s Day party, we’ve got some beer and jerky pairings we think you’ll love!

Go green or go home:

We’re not sure where the green beer tradition started, but we’re pretty sure it’s an American thing. If you’re making green beer to toast your heritage, you’re gonna’ want to start with a beer that’s light in color (but not low on taste). 2 drops of green food coloring should do the trick. And of course, you’ll need some Jerky to go with your festive beverage.

The yellow coloring of a light lager or Pilsner lends itself to turning green. And your Heineken, Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils, or your Lagunitas Pils would go great with the lighter side of Jerky - like any of our fish jerky varieties!

More of a Pale Ale drinker? Try your Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Deschutes Mirror Pond, or Ballast Point Grunion with something with a little kick, like Jeff’s Famous Habanero Heat Wave or our very own Jerky Dynasty Hot & Spicy. Let’s get this St. Patty’s party started!

Ye olde Irish Standards:

Green beer not your thing? Rather stick with something more traditional, perhaps a dry Irish stout? Whether it’s the old standby - Guinness, a Dry Irish Stout from Brooklyn Brewery, or a Bearded Seal from Pinthouse Pizza in Austin, TX  - the high carbohydrate level in stout helps to bring out the flavor in the jerky. Pair it with Buffalo Bob’s BBQ Wild Boar - Or Honey BBQ Old Fashioned Elk - The roasty notes of the stout provide a great flavor to accompany the sweetness of the BBQ taste.

No matter your beer style preference, you can’t really go wrong pairing any beer with ANY jerky. It’s just a tried and true combo. And regardless of your heritage or celebratory status, we hope you have a happy St. Patrick’s Day!

In case you hadn’t noticed, we’ve got our own house brand of old fashioned jerky now, and we think it’s awesome. If you’re reading our blog, we know you love jerky, but do you know how it’s made? The process and ingredients can vary from one manufacturer to another, so we thought we’d fill you in a bit on how our house brand gets from the cow to your doorstep.

Good food always begins with good ingredients. In our old fashioned jerky, we only use the round of the meat sliced a very particular way. The quality starts here – we aren’t using processed or reconstructed meat to make our pride and joy. 

Each piece is sliced in a specific direction at a consistent thickness – calculated to optimize both tenderness and flavor. And the good ingredients continue as the meat marinades in the freshest spices we can find – no artificial seasonings (or smoke flavoring) in our high quality meat.

After it is marinated every piece is inspected by the staff to guarantee consistency and quality at the skewering stage.

This is when the raw meat is laid over stainless steel rods in preparation for smoking and drying. Slices are properly spaced to allow hot air and smoke to penetrate from all angles. Each rod is hung on a rolling rack which is then taken to its own individual closed smoking chamber.

Inside the closed smokehouse, a blend of a variety of wood chips soaked in water burn slowly smoking the meat, and the jerky cooks slowly at a very low heat. Over the course of 5-7 hours in the smokehouse, the circulated warm air dries out and cures the meat. And the smoke infuses the flavor.

Thickness is measured, strips are cut, and weight is measured before packaging. And once again, every piece of jerky is again meticulously inspected by staff. Before the jerky reaches the bag, each individual pouch is flushed with nitrogen, - because oxygen is fresh food’s worst enemy. Each bag is then filled with an oxygen absorbing package to further promote freshness, and receives the jerky. It then gets sealed, boxed, and shipped to us – so we can get it in your hands as quickly as possible!

Our Jerky is made in the USA, and you may have noticed its shelf life is shorter than some other brands you may have purchased – that’s because it isn’t overly preserved with harmful chemicals. Plus, it’s so good it won’t last long in your pantry anyway. Don’t believe us? Order some today!