Postseason competition, and it’s not baseball; Lynchburg Tennessee: Where Whiskey and Barbecue Meet

By Suzanne Corbett, STLSportsPage.com Travel / Food Editor

They’ve been competing all season and I’m pumped to see who takes the championship. If you think I’m talking baseball, I’m not. I’m talking barbecue. The Jack Daniels World Invitational BBQ Championship that kicks off this weekend in Lychburgh, Tennessee. A free event where barbecue takes the spotlight momentary away from whiskey making.

Jack Daniels has sponsored what’s become known as “The Jack” since it began over 35 years ago. Over the years it’s become renown for attracting the best pitmasters from across the country and around the world. The Jack also inspires 40,000 barbecue fans to gather for the two-day free event that’s considered by many as the world’s most prestigious barbecue competition in the country.

The weekend is an old fashioned “throw down” that stretches  from Lynchburg’s historic downtown square to Wiseman Park. The epicenter of the  competition and festival events that include cooking demos, a dog show to a homemade cake and pie auction, vendors, live music, and of course, barbecue. Think an old-time county fair wrapped in Southern  hospitality and flavored with sweet smoke.

Barbecue is the star and die-hard barbecue fans arrive early on Saturday to grab a good spot on the bleachers to watch the judging using rules overseen by Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS).  Only certified KCBS judges can judge, of which I was honored to be counted among the certified judges at last year’s Jack. An experience that allowed me to taste the best of the best pitmasters presented in the categories of Pork Ribs, Pork Shoulder/Butts, Beef Brisket, Chicken, Dessert, Cook’s Choice, and Jack Daniel’s Sauce.

After the smoke has drifts away and the barbecue pits have cooled, stick around and take in the sites Lynchburg offers. Moore County Tennessee is prefect for fall color and buy a bottle of the local spirits, which is no longer completely dry. The rules are tricky so double check what you can buy and where you can imbibe.

Whether you can make it for this year’s barbecue championship, a trip to Lynchburg should be on anyone bucket list. Begin with a tour of the world-famous Tennessee whiskey brand Lynchburg made famous. Jack Daneil’s offers a unique look into its history interpreted through exhibits and three different tours, including one that is open to guests under 21.  Before or after the tour plan on dining at Lynchburg’s culinary landmark, Miss Mary Bobo’s.

Originally built as a  hotel in the 1867, Miss Mary and her husband bought it in 1908 and turned it not a boarding house renowned for its home cooked Southern style all you can eat dinners. While Miss Bobo herself wasn’t a cook herself, she knew to hire the best cooks to fill her tables with Southern-fried chicken and catfish, chicken pastry(pie), sides and pies. Foods still filling the tables today.

I’ve had the pleasure dining at Miss Bobo’s along with learning a few tips on how to cook with Jack from his Jack’s grandniece, Lynn Tolley who authored served cooks including Cooking with Jack. Tolley stepped in after Miss Bobo passed on in 1983 and oversaw operations until she retired in 2014 but remains a Jack Daniel’s Ambassador.

To eat at Miss Bobo’s, it’s best to get a reservation. Dinner is served Monday through Saturday at 11 am and 1 pm. Sometimes a 3 pm seating pop-ups on select Friday and Saturdays. Just ask.  As for reservations for this year’s Jack Daniel’s Barbecue Championship, you’re probably out of luck. But plan on next year. Better year, plan a getaway to Tennessee whiskey country now. Fall is a great time to visit.

Lynchburg is just one stop along the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, which is divided into three sections, is where you’ll find the best food and spirits in Tennessee. Jack Daneil’s is one of 17 distillers in Middle Tennessee. When touring Jack Daniel’s you’ll hear about Nathan “Nearest” Green, the enslaved African American who taught Jack whiskey making. Nearest Green’s story comes full circle at the distillery Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, 16 miles from Lynchburg.

Tennessee State Tourism can help with more great places to visit in and around Lynchburg. Perhaps you would like to be a judge at next year’s barbecue contest. To learn how to become a certified judge contact the Kansas City Barbecue Society.

Photos all courtesy of Jack Daniels, Except the close up of beef brisket, which is courtesy Suzanne Corbett.