Recipe: Grilled Blackberry Cider Chicken Drumsticks

While barbecuing is a staple of summer and fall, the team at My Family Tradition (MFT) in Boise, Idaho, is livening up an old ritual with their Blackberry Boom BBQ Sauce. Originally a storied family recipe, owner Scott Tharp refined the sauce using natural ingredients and a splash (or two) of the Blackberry Boom cider from fellow Boise artisan Meriwether Cider, all while keeping with the same taste that has been in his family for decades.

Expanding beyond the BBQ sauce, MFT has put a twist on a few other kitchen basics. Now, they team handcrafts batches of gourmet ketchup and more special sauces straight from their Boise kitchen.

A family favorite, these grilled blackberry chicken drumsticks encompass all that is good about MFT’s Blackberry Sauce. The addition of cider in the sauce brings a sweet, savory taste to the chicken that offers a unique caramelized flavor. Wash it down with Meriwether’s Blackberry Boom and you might as well be a Boise native. Fortunately for those that are not Boise residents, both companies are shipping across the country right now for you to make this easily at home.

Grilled Blackberry Cider Chicken Drumsticks
Serves 4

8-10 chicken drumsticks
1-2 teaspoons lemon pepper, to taste
1-2 cups My Family Tradition Blackberry Boom BBQ sauce, to taste

Coat the drumsticks in lemon pepper and place in bowl or dish. Let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Pre-heat a grill to 250° F. (The temperature will naturally rise when the chicken grease starts dropping, which is okay, just keep it under 300° F.)

Place on the grill and rotate every 5-10 minutes. Grill for 1 1/2-2 hours depending on the drumstick size, or until a thermometer reads 165° F of the internal temerpature. During the last 5-10 minutes of grilling, continually glaze the drums with MFT Blackberry Boom BBQ Sauce and rotate. Serve drums with a side of Blackberry BBQ dipping sauce and enjoy.