Today (May 16th) is National Barbecue Day!  

We all know nothing says barbecue more than The Salmon Ranch Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce and The Salmon Ranch Trail Dust seasoning. Click on either and you can view all the fantastic businesses where you can purchase the amazing sauce and rub.

In honor of National Barbecue Day here is a bit of history we found:

The First Commercial Charcoal Briquet Factory Was Designed By Thomas Edison And Built By Henry Ford In 1921.  Here is the real story: In 1897, Ellsworth B. A. Zwoyer was the first to patent a design for charcoal briquettes, although his thunder was somewhat stolen by the Kingsford company, who many associate with grilling. This company was created by Henry Ford, and he used wood scraps and sawdust that he got from the assembly lines of his cars to create the charcoal.

The gas grill was invented in the late 1930s by Don McGlaughlin, owner of the Chicago Combustion Corporation, known today as LazyMan.  These first Lazy-Man grills were marketed as "open-fire charcoal-type gas broilers" which featured "permanent coals", otherwise known as lava rock. The gas open-broiler design was adapted into the first portable gas grill in 1954 by Chicago Combustion Corporation as the Model AP. McGlaughlin's portable design was the first to feature the use of the 20-lb propane cylinders, which previously were exclusively used by plumbers as a fuel source.

Fun bit of barbecue trivia: George Washington’s diary is said to have referenced a barbecue event that lasted for three days!  You can do better, stock up on The Salmon Ranch Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce and Trail Dust Rub and get that grill fired up for dinner tonight!