Fire Oak Distillery Back Yard BBQ Throwdown Rules

Welcome, pitmasters! We’re thrilled to host our first-ever Back Yard BBQ Throwdown at the distillery. This is all about backyard vibes, great food, cold drinks, and friendly competition — no pro-level stress, just good times and great barbecue. These rules are inspired by popular amateur backyard events (like KCBS Backyard contests, community throwdowns, and people’s-choice festivals) while keeping things simple, safe, and tailored to our beautiful (but logistically tricky) distillery grounds.

1. Team & Event Basics
• Open to amateur backyard teams and individuals — the more the merrier!
• Teams can have as many helpers as you like, but only one entry per team.
• All participants must be 21+ (kids can help under adult supervision).
• $50 Entry includes your assigned 10 × 15 cook/tent space. Bring your own tent, tables, chairs, and shade — we’ve got you covered for the fun stuff!
• Option to also participate in best side and/or dessert (already included in $50 fee).

2. Equipment & Setup (The “No Monster Trailers” Rule)To keep our grounds safe, accessible, and fair for everyone, here’s the scoop: No large trailer smokers allowed. A pit may be trailered in, but it cannot exceed 250 gallons in size. The entire setup (pit + tent + workspace) must fit inside your 10 × 15 cook area. All pits must be of permanent design (for example, no temporary pits built from blocks). Fire Oak Staff will handle all pit placements using our proper hauling vehicles (standard cars/trucks won’t fit back there). Just let us know your pit details when you register — we’ll take care of the heavy lifting so you can focus on seasoning, smoking and/or grilling. Bring a fire extinguisher for your station (required) and follow all local fire codes. Wood, charcoal, pellets, or approved backyard smokers are all welcome — just keep it backyard-sized and fun!

3. Meat & Cooking Requirements (Cook It Fresh!)
• All meats must be cooked on-site from raw — no pre-cooked, parboiled, or off-site finished product.
• Every team must cook and serve chicken, beef, AND pork. The exact cuts are 100% your choice (brisket, ribs, pulled pork, chicken thighs, tri-tip — go wild and get creative!).
• Cook everything in your assigned space. Keep it safe and delicious — we’ll have water access and basic power if needed (let us know in advance).
This “cook-it-here” rule keeps the competition honest and the smells amazing all day long!

4. Judging: Pure People’s Choice!
No secret judges or scorecards — the crowd decides the champion!
Here’s how it works (modeled after popular people’s-choice events):
• You’ll serve bite-sized samples of your chicken, beef, and pork to attendees.
• Guests get voting tokens with their admission and wristband for identification.
• They taste, vote for their favorite team overall, and drop tokens in your jar.
• The team with the most votes wins the Back Yard BBQ Throwdown Grand Champion title, trophy, bragging rights, and prizes!
It’s simple, fun, and exactly what a backyard throwdown should be — real people picking real winners.

5. Schedule & Access
• No early access. Property gates open at 6:00 AM sharp on event day.
• Cook areas are first-come, first-served once you arrive — show up early for the best spot!
• No overnight camping on-site (sorry, folks — we want everyone fresh and ready to smoke at sunrise).
• Full schedule (setup, serving window, awards) will be sent with your confirmation packet.
• Be ready to serve guests by 1:00. Winners announced approximately 5:00 pm.
• Tear down must be completed by 8:00pm.
• Any special needs such as set up the day before or haul out the day after simply require notification to Fire Oak Distillery staff. All fires/coals/etc. must be extinguished if equipment is to be left on-premise.

6. Safety, Clean-Up & Good Vibes
• Follow basic food-safety rules (hot food hot, cold food cold, gloves when serving.
• Clean your space before you leave — please leave it better than you found it!
• Be courteous to fellow teams, staff, and guests. Excessive noise, rowdy behavior, or anything unsafe gets a friendly warning then a boot (we want everyone to have fun).
• Alcohol is for sipping, not selling — enjoy the distillery tastings responsibly!
Awards & Prizes
• People’s choice for “Best Chicken/Beef/Pork” fan-favorite awards (we’ll decide based on turnout)
These rules keep things fair, safe, and true to the backyard spirit while respecting our distillery’s unique layout and your top concerns. We can’t wait to smell the smoke and taste the competition!

Questions? Reach out — we’re here to help make this the best Father’s Day Throwdown ever.
Register soon (space is limited), fire up those pits, and let’s throw down!

See you at the grills, The Fire Oak Distillery Team “Smoke ’em if you got ’em… but keep it under 250 gallons!”