FTBBQ: JVP’s Bourbon Baked Beans
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When you think of Penn State, what indelible images/mental snapshots come to mind?
Racing to finish two scoops of Peachy Paterno as it melts under the merciless sun of an Arts Fest weekend…Saying hello to the extrovert squirrels frolicking across the Old Main lawn…Choking on the musty smell of books sandwiched within the Pattee Stacks…Baking on Beaver Stadium’s metal bleachers as Penn State toys with a non-conference pushover to open the home slate.
All good choices.
But, for us anyway, there’s another image – an off-the-radar Penn State image – that always warms the cockles of our heart every time we spot it in Happy Valley.
It’s a bottle of Old Grand-Dad whiskey, proudly positioned on a shelf (not the top shelf), iconic label staring you down from behind the bar.
For those unfamiliar with this nectar of the Gods, Old Grand-Dad was originally distilled by the Hayden Family of Kentucky – a plucky, small-batch spirits producer from the 19th century. Old Grand-Dad was one of the Hayden Family’s first commercial hits, dating all the way back to 1840. Today, Old Grand-Dad is produced at the Jim Beam plant in Clermont, Kentucky but still features a grumpy-looking portrait of Meredith Basil Hayden Sr. (a dude) on the label.
So, you’re probably wondering, what the heck does all this have to do with Penn State?!?!?!?!
Well, for starters, downing a shot of the 114-proof bourbon has been an unofficial rite of passage for Penn State students on their 21st birthdays dating back decades now.
Furthermore, believe it or not, Old Grand-Dad was the drink of choice for one Joseph Vincent Paterno! Specifically, Old Grand-Dad on the rocks, lots of rocks. Paterno’s love of this beverage is even listed on the bourbon’s Wikipedia page…so it’s gotta be true, right?!?!
In honor of the winningest coach in the history of college football, we found a creative use for Paterno’s favorite libation by including it in one of our more popular tailgate recipes: JVP’s BOURBON BAKED BEANS!
Here’s what you’ll need…
Ingredients
(1) 15 oz. can black beans
(1) 15 oz. can kidney beans
(1) 28 oz. can Bush’s Original baked beans
(1) red bell pepper – diced
(2) Jalapenos – seeded and diced
(1) Medium yellow onion – diced
1 oz. Olive oil
1 cup Peachy Pa’s Bourbon Tailgate Sauce ORDER HERE
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 shots Old Grand-Dad
Directions
• Add olive oil to a pan and cook the peppers and onion until tender.
• Drain and rinse the black & kidney beans. In a separate bowl, mix the beans, 409 tailgate sauce (or other bbq sauce), brown sugar, and 1 shot of bourbon. Mix in the peppers & onion.
• Add bean mixture to an oven safe pan or foil tray. Do the second shot of bourbon yourself and throw the beans in the smoker! An oven will also do just fine.
• Should take about 2 hours at 250. If the beans can sit beneath a pork butt or brisket, even better!
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