National Beer Day may have only been celebrated since April 7, 2009, but folks were celebrating beer long before that! Wondering why April 7th? In March of 1933, Roosevelt signed the Cullen-Harrison Act (which said beer could contain up to 3.2% alcohol by weight) into law, and it was enacted on April 7, 1933! Previous laws had required alcohol to be below 0.5% (thanks, prohibition!) and this was a game changer, which eventually led to the 21st Amendment!  Whether you're celebrating New Beer's Eve tonight, or National Beer Day tomorrow (or let's face it....both), we wouldn't be us if we didn't give you some suggestions for pairing your favorite beers with our meaty goods. 

Now that the history lesson is over, let the pairings begin! 

Teriyaki jerky + Blonde Ale: 

When preparing a pairing session, we like to start mild and light with both jerky and beer and work our way up in intensity and boldness. So we're starting off with an easy drinking blonde and some of the sweeter side of jerky. If you've never tasted Caribou, our Teriyaki stick from Indian Valley Alaska is a great option. And its sweetness pairs great with the caramel & apricot notes in the crisp Deschutes River Ale, or probably just about any other excellent Blonde for that matter! 

BBQ Jerky + Pale Ale:

If you live in the south, you already know that you can't go wrong pairing BBQ with your favorite Pale Ale. But for those of you who don't, you may have never had the pleasure of tasting this sweet and citrusy combo. Try our Buffalo Bob's BBQ Alligator snack pack paired with the grapefruity goodness that is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale for a little taste of the south in the summertime. 

Fish Jerky + Pilsner: 

For our last combo on the lighter side, we've paired some wild caught Ahi Tuna Jerky from Kaimana with Hans' Pils from Real Ale. The bright hoppiness combined with German malts in the pilsner provide a great balance to the smokiness of the Hawaiian tuna for a winning combination. This specific pilsner is a bit more heavily hopped than most, so it'd go great with our Peppered Ahi Tuna as well if you want to spice things up a bit. 

Venison Pepper Jerky + IPA: 

Now for something a little more bold. Deer season may be over, but we've always got Venison stocked. And the richness our Venison and Beef Peppered Jerky supplies is a great counterbalance to the citrus & pine notes of Ballast Point Sculpin IPA. The cracked pepper flavor of the jerky mixing with the hoppy aroma of this beer is absolutely mouth watering. You've just gotta try it. 

Scorpion Pepper + Stout: 

Love playing with fire? This last pairing is for you! Our Smoky Mountain Scorpion Pepper Brisket Jerky is a little sweet with a LOT of hot. Made with one of the hottest peppers on the planet, we're pretty sure it'll make you sweat. But a pint of Lakewood Temptress Imperial Milk Stout might just be the perfect thing to cool things off. With it's thick chocolate head, and notes of caramel and vanilla, the silky mouthfeel of this lower carbonation beer will calm the flames. Between the jerky and the beer - this pairing is both intense and complex - go big or go home, right? 

Jerky + Beer = Beer jerky! 

Perhaps you've decided that April happened to be a good month to get on the wagon and stop drinking. Bad timing, huh? But wait - you can still celebrate National Beer Day with our beer jerky (it's not technically drinking, right?)! Normally a pale ale drinker? Try our Black Label Draft Ale Beef Jerky that's marinated in its goodness. Love something a bit darker? Our Dark Ale Beer Jerky from Northwest Bierhaus in Oregon should do the trick! 

We hope these pairings make this year's celebration of National Beer Day one to remember! Please drink (and eat) responsibly. Oh wait. One can never have too much jerky! 

It's that time of year again...when we make a list of goals we're beholden to for the next 365 days. Some years we go easy on ourselves, and sometimes it's a real challenge. This year, our resolution is to make YOUR goals easier to meet - with - you guessed it - JERKY.  You may be wondering how jerky can possibly relate to your 2018 resolutions. We think you'l be pleasantly surprised. 

Resolution #1: Take your vitamins.

If you're gonna' work out - you're gonna' need protein.  Whether you've jumped on the Crossfit bandwagon and want to go Paleo, or just want to make sure your muscles are getting the stuff they need to repair, Jerky's got your back. Your average post-workout snack should have anywhere from 10-20 grams of protein - which means you just need to eat 2-3 pieces of our very own old fashioned jerky to do the trick.  Filling your gym bag with our gourmet jerky is a great way to stay motivated - what better reward for a workout? 

We're about halfway through summer, but there's still plenty of time for an epic getaway. Whether you're driving cross-country or just getting outside the city for a weekend, you won't want to hit the road without snacks.  And we'd like to tell you why jerky's the best choice to fuel your drive. 

10 Reasons Jerky Rules for Roadtrips: 

1. You're gonna' get sick of fast food french fries. 
2. Jerky won't melt all over your upholstery, unlike chocolate.
3. Need a moment of quiet in the car? Jerky takes a while to chew, so it'll keep your traveling companions' mouths busy. 
4. Gas station snacks just don't deliver. And boy are they overpriced! 
5. It's full of protein to keep you from getting hangry.
6. Sodium helps prevent dehydration - so you can drink less and make fewer stops! 
7. There's nothing better than eating meat at 70mph! 
8.  You can match your meat to your destination. Going to Louisiana? How 'bout some Cajun Alligator?
9. Jerky sticks are a great space saver if you're packing light. 
10. EVERYBODY loves jerky! 

Ten reasons not enough to make jerky your go-to roadtrip snack? We'll give you one more. Use code ROADTRIPPIN17 at checkout for 10% off! (Good through 8/15/2017). 

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!