Andrew Darneille, owner and pitmaster of Arlington’s Smokecraft Modern Barbecue, along with his Smokecraft Championship BBQ team, has been invited to compete in the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue. Taking place in Lynchburg, TN on on October 8th and 9th, “The Jack” as it is known, is widely considered the world’s most pretigious barbecue competition, representing the best of the best in barbecue. To qualify, domestic teams must have won a state championship event with at least 25 competiting teams, or a competition with more than 50 teams battling in the categories of Pork Ribs, Pork Butts, Chicken and Beef Brisket. For 2021, 76 of the best teams in the world have been invited to compete (international teams were not selected this year due to international travel restrictions).
Smokecraft Championship BBQ Team are the reigning Maryland State Cup Champions, currently lead the MABA (Mid-Atlantic BBQ Association) Tier 2 Team of the Year Points, are winners of two Reserve Grand Championships in 2021, and qualified for “The Jack” by winning the Grand Championship at the New Holland Summerfest in 2019. The team has won over 100 awards since 2018, with 26 Top-10 Finishes in 2021. Last year’s “Jack” was cancelled due to COVID.
“It’s an incredible honor to have been invited to compete at The Jack this year. We’ve worked so hard every day to cook the best barbecue that we can, and this invitation validates that we can cook with the very best. We are looking forward to the challenge and opportunity to compete against the best barbecue teams in the world this fall!”
About Smokecraft Modern Barbecue: Smokecraft Modern Barbecue is an award-winning barbecue restaurant in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, which opened in July 2020. Born from the idea that barbecue can be more than just traditional, smoke can be more than just smoky, and passion can be crafted, Smokecraft is a team of dedicated members always striving to provide the best culinary experience. Smokecraft Modern Barbecue’s award-winning techniques are tested and perfected on the competition circuit, and the team is continuously evolving to push the boundaries of barbecue