O
n the rainy afternoon of May 4, the De Luna Winery hosted the first Hoecake Throwdown, presented
by Blue Collards and Wild Turkey. The event celebrated the history, mythos, and meaning of the most
quintessential Southern foods, cornbread; and its liquid cousin bourbon. The Hoecake Throwdown
featured whiskey tastings, gourmet cornbread and fixin’s, and a heap of other culinary experiences
including a Chefs’ Competition, where guests were invited to taste gourmet hoecake dishes featuring Delta Grind
stone-ground cornmeal as the region’s best chefs competed to wow judges’ taste buds, a Bacon and Bourbon Pairing,
which was a guided bacon and bourbon experience from Bill-E’s Small-Batch Bacon and Wild Turkey, Bacon and
Bourbon Gelato samples of small-batch gelato from Dolce and Gelato, and cast iron demos where guests were able to
learn the finer points of cast-iron cookery from the experts at the Field Company.
Terry S. Strickland is founder, editor-in-chief and chief busy-body of Blue Collards. Their mission is to bring
readers closer to their food, the earth and one another. In addition to producing a digital magazine, they organize a
wide array of live events including Peat and Pearls, and Barleybrine, as well as lead a growing community of chefs,
mixologists and other culinary leaders who are building the future of Southern foodways, called Swing Shift.
A portion of all proceeds went benefit Chain Reaction, which is a Pensacola-based nonprofit that empowers teens
through character education and service-based learning. Armed with an adventurous spirit and a thirst for impacting
change, they encourage and empower teens to experiment, to grow, and ultimately, to thrive and learn to create an
impact beyond themselves.
photos & story by
Kristina Wright
VIP Pensacola at De Luna Winery
62 | VIPPensacola.com
Angel & Jeremy White
Brenda Mader & Rudy Randolph
Terry Strickland & Kristin Fairchild
Stephen Gray & Dan Lawrence
Joan Smith & Chef Irv Miller
Dottie King & George Demmy
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