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For the Love of Sauce GET TO KNOW BUCKHEAD’S FIREBUD BRANDS ARTICLE LAURA CARSON MILLER | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
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or native Atlantan and Buckhead resident Michael McCord, all roads happily lead to barbecue. After graduating from Lovett in 2001, it was off to college, and his signature sauce, called Slap, was born out the need for the perfect accompaniment to the whole hog he and his buddies were roasting for a huge college tailgate party. How dare some people say college is a waste of time or money! Fast forward to the present, when Firebud Brand’s Slap and Salvation Sauces are carried in four Savi Markets, eight metro Whole Foods, five Cook’s Warehouse locations, Lucy’s Market, The Viking Store, Nuts N’ Berries and Onward Reserve. The company’s sauce products, Slap Sauce and Alabama Salvation Sauce, are distinctively different while being equally delicious. “We, as Atlantans, are not known for a specific type of barbecue,” McCord offers. “This is probably due to the high number of transplants and our “too busy to care” mind set. We are able to pick and choose from the best and whatever we enjoy the most. The barbecue purists out there have their own opinions and will gladly share theirs with you. They are passionate and I respect that. Any tradition as strong as barbecue will have its rivalries. It’s the same in any arena: Coke-Pepsi beverages, Auburn-Alabama football, Apple-Android operating systems or Home Depot-Lowes home improvement stores. I for one am just glad we have options.”
16 BuckHavenLifestyle.com | June 2014
McCord says the inspiration for Slap Sauce was to combine his two favorite barbecue sauces: the Eastern North Carolina vinegar sauce and the South Carolina mustard. “I believe we have created the perfect hybrid of the two,” he says. “For Alabama Salvation Sauce, it was to keep going down this unique barbecue path and bring this regional north Alabama sauce to the masses. Everyone has a red sauce they prefer, some even make their own at home, but a mayonnaise-based sauce with fresh horseradish and lemon? It truly is one of a kind.” You won’t be surprised to learn that Firebud Brands products are award winning, too. “Receiving the 2014 Award of Excellence from the National Barbecue Association was awesome,” says a proud McCord. “It gave some validity to what we already knew: we have a quality product made with superior ingredients. With over 700 entrants this year, it was humbling and inspiring.” Writer’s note: These sauces are also fantastic on foods other than just barbecue! My husband loves Salvation Sauce with a juicy ribeye, and Slap Sauce is wonderful with fish. I marinate salmon in Slap Sauce, then shake on some Firebud Brands Body Buzz Rub, in stores May 1, grill and enjoy. Body Buzz Rub will truly amp up the flavor of a simple green salad as well; top with a splash of oil and vinegar. And Slap Sauce is equally awesome on a fish taco. Trust me. FirebudBrands.com