My family is a family that grills together. Okay, really dad mans the grill and we all partake of the goods that come from his master-griller status, but you get the point. Grilling has always been something we do year round. Over the years, the grill has seen a long of use. Ribs. Burgers. Steak. Even Pizza. And of course brats, specifically Johnsonville Brats.
To celebrate my dad’s 60th birthday this past weekend we combined two things the family loves to make a celebration to remember. We got him a new wood-burning grill and we made Johnsonville brats the main component of our afternoon snack. Think of it as a birthday and bratsgiving combined.
As soon as he got the grill, the boxes of parts were spread out throughout the backyard and assembly began. It didn’t take long for the grill to be upright and fired up. While he set up the new grill to be seasoned and run through its first wood-burning cycle, he also lit up the old grill so we could cook up three different flavors of brats - original, buffalo bleu, and cheddar cheese with bacon. The original is our usual go-to, boiled in beer before being put on the grill. But this time around both the spicy buffalo bleu and the cheddar cheese and bacon brats flew off the plates. (Other flavors include: Firecracker, Beer ‘n Brats, Cheddar, Grilling Chorizo, and Hatch Chili.) NomNom!!
Beyond grilling, we played corn hole in the backyard. I was exceptionally bad at the game that day. My 5-year-old nephew and I were on a team and he ended up putting more points on the board than I was able to. Eek. I need more practice. We also played water balloon catch - using a colander placed on top of our heads to catch the balloons.
And let’s not forget the traditional family shot to celebrate a momentous occasion that brings us all together! Whiskey for those over 21 and soda for those under age.
Need an excuse to celebrate like this with family and friends? You’re in luck. August 16th is National Bratwurst Day. So fire up that grill and get to cooking some of these Johnsonville yummies so you can celebrate your own Bratsgiving.
Here’s a little video recap of our entire Birthday Bratsgiving celebration.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville. The opinions and text are all mine.
