“The stuff is smooth on ribs and brisket, but it’s also fun right out the bottle”
I’ve been drinking BBQ sauce for two days.
My whole team has.
That’s not hyperbole.
It all started with our introduction to Sweet Victory cannabis-Infused BBQ Sauce, which is exactly what it sounds like and then some. The stuff is smooth on ribs and brisket, but it’s also fun right out the bottle.
But from where does this sweet nectar come?
You may have heard of Andy Husbands. He’s the pitmaster and owner of the Smoke Shop brand and its various locations, and the co-founder of a competition squad that, as he explains, “became the first non-Southern BBQ team to win the Grand Champion title at the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue in Tennessee.”
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It’s his sauce we’ve been ladling straight to the tonsils, so you can imagine. And he’s entered the endeavor with Bountiful Farms, one of the Bay State’s most vaunted cultivators and manufacturers. That’s also no exaggeration; guided by General Manager of Cultivation Zach Taylor, their team has captured multiple ribbons including one at the Massachusetts Cultivator’s Cup and a first-place in the High Times Massachusetts Cannabis Cup for Best Indica Flower.
Like Husbands in the food realm, Taylor is a humble celebrity in his own right in the cannabis space, with credentials including getting his caregiver license in Colorado at 18 years old back in 2007 and going on to run major grows out west before coming to Mass.
“It’s been amazing to work with Andy on this infused BBQ sauce because it represents both of our lifelong passions and is a unique way to enhance the barbecue experience,” Taylor said. “I’ve grown up around barbecue my whole life as my 90-year-old grandfather is a passionate hobbyist who has taught me how to barbecue from a young age. Having the chance to blend my passion of growing cannabis with something that’s brought us both so much joy over the years has been incredible.”
As for the sauce itself, it’s delicious. As Husbands explained at a launch event this week, Sweet Victory—whether the infused version or the standard-issue one you can find on the table at any Smoke Shop—is very different from a molasses-thick store-bought BBQ sauce like Sweet Baby Ray’s. Think more along the lines of a Peter Luger’s steak sauce; as Husbands describes his creation, it’s “sweet, spicy, and herbaceous … perfect for all types of barbecue and can be used as a finishing glaze on meats like ribs, burgers, pulled pork, and brisket.” Also, regarding the dosed one, “it is intended to be brushed on after cooking to enhance the flavor of the meat, and represents a way to deliver the effects of cannabis in edible form.”
“Barbecue is the cuisine of celebration and togetherness; people don’t cook barbecue for just themselves, they cook to bring people together,” Husbands said. “Teaming up with Bountiful Farms on this BBQ sauce has been such a cool experience; we know that consumers will be able to taste the passion and craftsmanship behind both of our brands as they enjoy the sauce at the table with family and friends.”
Ready to try some? “The limited release sauce will be available at select recreational dispensaries including Bud’s Goods and RISE and at Bountiful Farms’ medical dispensary in Natick beginning this week.”
bountifulfarms.care/thesmokeshop/sweetvictorybbqsauce
thesmokeshopbbq.com
A Queens, NY native who came to New England in 2004 to earn his MA in journalism at Boston University, Chris Faraone is the editor and co-publisher of DigBoston and a co-founder of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. He has published several books including 99 Nights with the 99 Percent, and has written liner notes for hip-hop gods including Cypress Hill, Pete Rock, Nas, and various members of the Wu-Tang Clan.
