The 2025 competition season took Bourbon & Blues BBQ across the country for another year on the BBQ trail. We got off to a later start and focused primarily on KCBS Masters events, logging plenty of miles while chasing strong finishes—and some of the best trophies in barbecue. Along the way, we met and competed against some of the top teams in the sport. Looking back, it was a season filled with memorable calls, great friendships, new places, tough fields, and plenty of lessons we carried with us into 2026.
Bourbon & Blues BBQ 2025 Competition Schedule
Our 2025 schedule included stops across the country, from major championship events to regional contests and familiar favorites.
| Date | Competition | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 25, 2025 | Lakeland Pig Festival | Lakeland, FL |
| Apr. 26, 2025 | BBQ & Boogie | Calhoun, GA |
| May 3, 2025 | The All American Comeback BBQ, Bourbon, & Bands | Ruidoso Downs, NM |
| May 17, 2025 | Rotary Day at Galway BBQ Competition | Temecula, CA |
| May 24, 2025 | Best Dam BBQ | Boulder City, NV |
| May 31, 2025 | The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 1) | Sweet Home, OR |
| Jun. 1, 2025 | The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2) | Sweet Home, OR |
| Jun. 7, 2025 | Original SD BBQ Championships | Huron, SD |
| Jun. 14, 2025 | Montana BBQ Cookoff | Absarokee, MT |
| Jun. 21, 2025 | Pitmaster’s NorUt KCBS BBQ Championship | Ogden, UT |
| Jun. 28, 2025 | Smoke-N-Wings | Blackfoot, ID |
| Jul. 6, 2025 | Dillon Days Blowin’ Smoke BBQ Cook Off | Dillon, MT |
| Jul. 19, 2025 | Blaze of 47 | Salt Lake City, UT |
| Jul. 26, 2025 | Albany County Fair Smokin’ BBQ Cook-Off | Laramie, WY |
| Aug. 2, 2025 | All American BBQ Throwdown | Westland, MI |
| Aug. 9, 2025 | Smoke on the Bricks | Baldwin City, KS |
| Aug. 16, 2025 | Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship | Lubbock, TX |
| Aug. 23, 2025 | Cruisin’ and BBQin’ | Hampton, IA |
| Aug. 30, 2025 | SD BBQ Shootout @ Huset’s Speedway | Brandon, SD |
| Sep. 6, 2025 | Grizzly BBQ Brawl | Wellington, OH |
| Sep. 7, 2025 | Saxonburg BBQ Smokeout | Saxonburg, PA |
| Sep. 13, 2025 | Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff | Waller, TX |
| Sep. 27, 2025 | Smokin on the Route | Miami, OK |
| Oct. 4, 2025 | Hub City BBQ Fest (formerly TN River BBQ Fest) | Jackson, TN |
| Oct. 11, 2025 | MD State BBQ Bash | Bel Air, MD |
| Oct. 25, 2025 | Eastern Carolina BBQ Throwdown | Rocky Mount, NC |
| Nov. 1, 2025 | Spooky Q 1792 | Monticello, KY |
| Nov. 9, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue – Open Contest | Kansas City, KS |
| Nov. 15, 2025 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic | Cumming, GA |
| Nov. 22, 2025 | Plant City Pig Jam | Plant City, FL |
This schedule reflects Bourbon & Blues BBQ’s competition stops during the 2025 season.
Our 2025 Competition Season
After a late start to the season, 2025 turned into a busy year on the road for Bourbon & Blues BBQ. We competed in 30 contests across the country, with the schedule taking us from Florida to the West Coast, through the Mountain West and Midwest, and back east to finish the year.
The season brought plenty of memorable weekends, including 11 Top 10 overall finishes and four 3rd Place overall finishes. Chicken was our most consistent category, with six category wins during the year, while ribs, pork, and brisket all delivered several walks of their own. We also closed out the season at Plant City Pig Jam with a perfect 180 in chicken.
As always, the results only tell part of the story. The miles, new contests, new friendships, tough fields, and lessons learned throughout 2025 helped shape the way we approached the 2026 season.
2025 Season Highlights
- Perfect 180 Chicken — Plant City Pig Jam — 1st Place Chicken and 7th Overall
- 1st Place Brisket — Pitmaster’s NorUt KCBS BBQ Championship — plus 9th Chicken, 4th Ribs, 5th Pork and 3rd Overall
- 1st Place Chicken — Original SD BBQ Championships — 7th Overall
- 1st Place Chicken — Dillon Days Blowin’ Smoke BBQ Cook Off — plus 2nd Ribs, 4th Pork, 6th Brisket and 3rd Overall
- 1st Place Chicken — Cruisin’ and BBQin’ — plus 4th Pork and 5th Overall
- 1st Place Chicken — Spooky Q 1792
- 3rd Overall — Albany County Fair Smokin’ BBQ Cook-Off — 2nd Chicken, 4th Ribs and 2nd Pork
- 3rd Overall — The Santiam Smoke Show, Day 1 — 7th Chicken, 4th Ribs and 5th Brisket
- 6th Overall — SD BBQ Shootout at Huset’s Speedway — highlighted by 2nd Place Chicken and 8th Place Pork
- 7th Overall — Smoke-N-Wings — with Top 10 finishes in Chicken, Ribs and Brisket
- 8th Overall — Smokin on the Route — with 6th Chicken, 5th Ribs and 6th Pork
2025 by the Numbers
30 Contests • 11 Top 10 Overall Finishes • 44 Top 10 Category Finishes • 6 Category Wins • 1 Perfect 180 • High Score: 709.726
Follow Us on the BBQ Trail
Explore more from our competition seasons, resources, and life on the road through On the BBQ Trail.
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