COCHON 555’S HERITAGE BBQ JOINS TASTE OF D.C.

Heritage BBQ presented by Goose Island Beer Co. is bringing its flavor-packed, five city global BBQ tour to Washington, D.C.’s Taste of D.C. on Sunday, October 12th. The hyper-local BBQ tour started by Brady Lowe, Founder of Cochon 555, invites five notable chefs to create globally-influenced menus featuring whole heritage breed pigs in a friendly competition to promote the family farms raising these great animals responsibly. The event is an all-inclusive culinary feast featuring unlimited access to food, bourbon, brews, wines and ice cream before announcing the winner. Heritage BBQ is an edible education on the finest social tradition in human history, and is a ground-breaking event creating a new hyper-local, globally-themed conversation about our BBQ culture.

Photo by Kristen Finn

This year’s competing chefs include Scott Drewno of The Source by Wolfgang Puck (2-time Cochon555 Winner 2010, 2011), andErik Bruner-Yang of Maketto (2014 Cochon 555 winner), Kyle Bailey of Birch & Barley, Joe Palma of Bourbon Steak, and George Pagonis of Kapnos,. The chef teams are given a 200 pound heritage breed pig from a local farm to create six dishes for a crowd of pork-loving enthusiasts.

In addition to the whole pig competition, the event will feature a star-studded lineup of notable D.C. chefs participating in Cochon 555’s new “BBQ Traditions” series, where each chef prepares one dish from their favorite global BBQ culture. This year will kick off with Anakota Wines paired with a Lexington-style BBQ featuring a Large Black from Alec Bradford at Leaping Waters Farm prepared in collaboration with Benjamin Nola of Rose’s Luxury. Guests will also experience additional culinary global delights prepared byHaidar Karoum of doi moi, Ed Witt of The Partisan, Jeffrey Buben of Vidalia, and Craig Hartman of The Barbeque Exchange. They will cook styles such as Braai from South Africa, Char Siu from China, Hibachi from Japan, or dishes from Vietnam, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico. To access an online directory of BBQ Traditions from around the world, click here.

The all-inclusive event features 15+ chef teams cooking 1,400+ pounds of globally inspired BBQ, an amazing cast of celebrity judges, farmers and beverage producers. Guests will also experience:

• The Goose Nest, featuring a selection of Goose Island Beer Co's Vintage Ales and beers where guests have the chance to experience the exquisite pairing potential of beer and global BBQ

• A Pop-Up Butcher Shop featuring Erika Nakamura of Lindy & Grundy and Jocelyn Guest of Dickson's Farmstandbenefiting L’Academie de Cuisine with the support of Williams-Sonoma

• Special “Summer Citrus” cocktail from Four Roses Bourbon

• Special chef pairing with “BBQ Traditions” presented by Anakota Wines, a collection of single vineyard, single varietal, Knights Valley appellation wines from rural Sonoma County

• Welcome Reception featuring Berkwood Farms Berkshire Pork ribs and libations including amazing punches prepared byTaste Network

• An array of wonderful wines from Wines of Rioja, Boxwood Estate Winery, Barboursville Vineyards and more

• Different ages of Prosciutto di Parma ranging from 14 and 30 months, sliced by a roaming Berkel and by hand off a bone-in leg

• “Perfect Manhattan” Bourbon Bar featuring Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace, Breckenridge Bourbon, Templeton Rye, Four Roses, Glenrothes and Luxardo

• Rappahannock River Oysters shucking and grilling their finest sustainable treasures

• BBQ Short-Rib Bar featuring Creekstone Farms and an artisan cheese bar featuring Kenny’s

• Farmhouse Cheese provided by the The Wine Source

• Portfolio tasting of Crispin Ciders - Official Cider of the US Tour, amazing wines and a Mezcal Bar featuring Fidencio andMezcales de Leyenda

• Pre-awards “Ice Cream Social” with James Beard Award Winner, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

Tickets for general admission start at $100, and VIP tickets for early admission are $200. To purchase tickets, visit the websiteat http://cochon555.com/2014-tour/washingtondc-bbq/

Where: Taste of D.C. – Official Event Partner

Pennsylvania Ave. and 12th Street NW

Washington, D.C. 

When: Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014

4 p.m. – 8 p.m.

ABOUT HERITAGE BBQ by COCHON 555

Started in 2012 in an effort to bridge the gap between family farms and all categories of BBQ restaurants, Heritage BBQ by Cochon 555, is the first national BBQ competition dedicated to supporting a new direction for heritage breed pigs by expanding the conversation to a global economy. Created by Cochon 555 Founder Brady Lowe, Heritage BBQ engages existing BBQ restaurants in the local and sustainable food conversation taking place nationwide while simultaneously breaking ground on a new hyper-local, globally-themed, farm-supporting BBQ.

ABOUT COCHON 555 & THE US TOUR

Cochon 555 was created in 2009 by Taste Network’s Brady Lowe in response to the lack of consumer education around heritage breeds. The festival is a national event series that takes place in 16 major markets. In addition to its flagship event, Cochon 555, the Cochon brand now offers a variety of experiences each year in the family of events. The events with national followings include Heritage BBQ, Heritage Fire, EPIC Cochon, All-Star Cochon and Cochon Island. Since its launch in 2009, the tour now serves over 10,000 guests annually and works with over 1,500 pioneers all supporting a better food system. Known for creating an impact on local agriculture by amplifying the conversation of heritage breed pigs through consumption, events include notable sommeliers, restaurateurs, chefs, media, consumers and independent business owners looking to champion a premium, responsible lifestyle. For more details about the events, visit www.cochon555.com or follow @cochon555 on Twitter.