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Krupnik: The Spiced Honey Elixir of Midwest Legends

7/4/2025

Whether you’re grilling in the cold, toasting at the cabin, or just looking to feel warm from the inside out, Krupnik is your new best friend. This traditional Polish honey liqueur is sweet, spicy, and strong enough to make your great-grandpa nod in approval.
It’s the kind of drink that makes your toes tingle and your grill tongs glow with mystical energy. And thanks to the cast iron Dutch oven method, we’re taking it from stovetop tradition to grill-side masterpiece.

🍯 Ingredients:

3 cups water
2 cups raw honey, gently heated (don’t boil it—this isn’t honey warfare)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 whole nutmeg seed, smashed like your holiday stress
3 cinnamon sticks
5 cloves
20 peppercorns (whole, not ground—this ain’t soup)
A pinch of allspice
1 star anise or a small sprinkle of whole anise seeds
1 lemon, cut into quarters
1–3 cups potato vodka, depending on how “festive” you want to get

🔥 Directions:

In your trusty cast iron Dutch oven, combine everything except the vodka.
Heat slowly over the grill or fire pit—this isn’t a race. Let those flavors mingle like cousins at a fish fry.
Simmer (not boil!) for about 30–40 minutes until it smells like the holidays slapped you with a cinnamon stick.
Remove from heat. Let it cool for 5–10 minutes, then slowly stir in your potato vodka. Start with 1 cup and go up from there. You’re in charge of the party.

Optional: Strain out the solids, or leave them in for maximum rustic chaos.

🧊 How to Serve:

Hot or chilled, depending on the mood.
In a shot glass, a mug, or a tiny hand-carved wooden cup from your uncle’s garage.
Garnish with a lemon twist or cinnamon stick if you're feeling fancy.

🎯 Tips from the Grill Masters:

Use high-quality potato vodka—you want smooth, not sharp.
Don’t rush the simmer. The longer it warms, the richer the flavor.
Store in a glass jar or bottle and refrigerate. It'll keep for weeks (if you don’t drink it all at your next bonfire).
Pairs beautifully with smoked meats, sharp cheeses, and that second helping of dessert you said you wouldn't have.

🧪 Why It Works
Krupnik is bold. It’s old-school. It’s comfort in a cup. And when you make it outdoors in a Dutch oven, it becomes more than a drink—it becomes a ritual. The crackle of the fire, the smell of the spices, the glug-glug of the vodka... that’s the good stuff, folks.
This ain’t your average hot toddy—it’s a bracing, beautiful throwback that brings warmth to your body and your soul.

Mad Dog & Merrill® Midwest Grill’n: Where we don’t just grill meat—we stir up tradition, one spicy sip at a time.
📺 Watch us for more wild recipes
🔥 Join the Grill’n Club for exclusive content and member perks
🧂 Shop sauces, seasonings, and gear at maddogandmerrill.com
🎁 Add a Krupnik recipe card to your next holiday gift basket. You’ll be a legend.

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Polish Pickle Poppers: A Bacon-Wrapped Brine Bomb from the Grill

7/4/2025

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You know what’s missing from your average cookout? A stuffed pickle wrapped in bacon, that’s what. Meet the Polish Pickle Popper—a glorious, smoky, meaty, crunchy creation that’ll confuse your guests in the best possible way.
This isn’t a side dish. It’s not a snack. It’s an experience. Bold, a little unhinged, and absolutely perfect for anyone who’s ever looked at a giant kosher dill and thought, “You should be full of pork.”

🧂 Ingredients:

Large kosher Polish pickles (the sturdier the better)
1 lb ground pork
1 lb bacon (thin slice = better wrap)
1 cup shredded potatoes (hash brown-style)
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 eggs (because science)

🥩 Directions:

Hollow out your pickles like you’re making little canoes. Use a spoon or melon baller. Try not to cry from joy.
In a big bowl, mix together ground pork, shredded potatoes, breadcrumbs, and eggs. Congratulations—you've made a Midwest meatball.
Stuff that pickle with your pork blend until it’s packed like a bratwurst suitcase.
Wrap each stuffed pickle in bacon. Secure with toothpicks if needed. (Or sheer willpower.)
Place on your Pit Boss grill at 350°F. Let ‘em get some nice grill marks and a bit of sizzle.
Turn the heat down to 160°F and let the magic finish low and slow. Cook until the pork is fully done and the bacon is crisped to perfection.

Optional pro move: Brush with a glaze made from Mad Dog & Merrill® Root Beer BBQ Sauce near the end for a sweet-savory punch.

🧠 Grill’n Wisdom:

You will want more than one. Plan accordingly.
Pork cutlet mix can be made ahead and chilled for quicker stuffing.
Got leftovers? Slice into medallions for the best party platter you’ve ever made.
Make sure your Rebex Knife is ready—these poppers are tender on the inside but tough on the ego if you try to cut them with anything else.
Use promo code GRILL15 for 15% off your entire order at Rebex Cutlery!

🧨 Why You Need This in Your Life
Because pickles were born to be filled with pork and wrapped in bacon. Because you’ve grilled everything else. And because this recipe makes people say, “Wait—what did you just make?” and then immediately ask for another.
Polish Pickle Poppers are crispy, juicy, salty, smoky, and ridiculous in the most beautiful way. They belong on your grill. They belong in your belly. They belong in the next episode of Mad Dog & Merrill® Midwest Grill’n.

Join the Grill’n Club for even more gloriously grilled weirdness, free eBooks, and exclusive content straight from the brine-soaked minds of the Midwest’s grilling gurus.
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🔥 Find us in stores or festivals all across the Midwest
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Cucumber Cream Salad: Cool, Creamy & Caraway’d Away

7/4/2025

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Nothing screams Midwest summer like a chilled cucumber salad sitting proudly next to a brat, a burger, or a plate of something grilled by Uncle Randy in sandals and socks. This one? It's the cool, creamy sidekick your cookout deserves.
Whether you’re hosting a backyard feast or just looking to cancel out the heat from your spicy BBQ sauce (Spicy BBQ Sauce, anyone?), this Cucumber Cream Salad is refreshing, crunchy, and just the right amount of zippy.

🧄 Ingredients:

2 sliced cucumbers (thin enough to fold, thick enough to crunch)
1 ½ cups sour cream (bring the tang!)
¼ cup vinegar (white or apple cider—your call)
¼ cup sugar (balance, baby)
¼ cup caraway seeds (yes, the unsung hero)
Rings of Spanish onion (just enough drama)
Chopped fresh dill (because summer demands it)

🥣 Directions:

Slice your cucumbers and onions like a pro. (We used our trusty Rebex Cutlery for that razor-sharp precision.)
Combine everything in a big ol’ bowl.
Mix gently until the cucumbers are coated in creamy, herby bliss.
Chill in the fridge for at least an hour so those flavors can get to know each other.
Serve cold, preferably on a sunny day with a fork in one hand and a Sun Drop in the other.

🧊 Pro Tips:

Add a little cracked black pepper for a modern kick.
No fresh dill? Use dried—just halve the amount and pretend you’re still fancy.
Want more crunch? Toss in a few sliced radishes.
Hosting a party? Double the batch. People will go back for thirds.

🥗 Why It Works
Creamy. Tangy. Cool. Crunchy. Herbaceous. A little sweet, a little sour, and a whole lot of Midwest personality. This salad is a fridge-chilled love letter to family reunions, neighborhood BBQs, and anyone who believes that cucumbers should be treated with respect.
So whip up a batch, toss it next to your grilled masterpiece, and pat yourself on the back—you just leveled up your picnic game.

Mad Dog & Merrill® Midwest Grill’n: Keeping it creamy, crunchy, and caraway’d all summer long.
👉 Grab more bold recipes, BBQ gear, and Grill’n Club exclusives at maddogandmerrill.com
Let me know if you want this turned into a printable recipe card or something gif-worthy for Instagram!

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Pepper Onion Brats: A Midwest Flavor Bomb Straight from the Grill

7/4/2025

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Buckle up, brat lovers. We’re turning the humble bratwurst into a full-blown symphony of grilled perfection, featuring peppers, onions, kraut, and just enough beer to make you feel like you’ve got Packers season tickets. It’s sweet. It’s tangy. It’s a buttery, beer-soaked brat bath that could bring a grown Wisconsinite to tears.
And best of all? It’s cooked the way it was meant to be—on a Pit Boss grill, where flavor gets serious and the heat never backs down.

🧄 Ingredients:
Get your shopping list ready. This one’s simple, bold, and built for the backyard.

Brats (the good kind—bonus points if they’re local)
1 cup red pepper sticks
1 cup orange pepper sticks
1 large sliced onion
1 jar diced tomatoes (with juice—don't skimp)
1 cup sauerkraut
2 sticks of butter (yes, two)
A sprinkle of caraway seeds (don’t fear the flavor)
A good splash of Isotropic Ale or your favorite beer

Not a beer fan? Use a splash of citrus soda instead—like Sun Drop, baby!

🥘 Directions:
This one’s as easy as forgetting where you put the tongs—just toss it all in and let the grill do the magic.

Grab a cast iron roaster and show it who's boss.
Toss in the sliced peppers, onion, tomatoes, kraut, and butter. Sprinkle in those caraway seeds with wild abandon.
Nestle the brats into that glorious mess like they’re getting tucked in for a nap.
Pour in your Isotropic Ale (or Sun Drop!) until everything's swimming in flavor.
Set it on your Pit Boss grill and let it cook low and slow until the brats are plump, juicy, and bathed in buttery beer glory.

Pro tip: Slice the brats halfway through the cook for more flavor infusion. Or don’t. We’re not your mom.

🍽️ How to Serve It:
Pile those brats high in a toasted bun and ladle on that peppery-oniony-kraut goodness. Serve with chips, deli salad, baked beans, or whatever your backyard buffet dreams are made of.
Knife work involved? You know we used Rebex Cutlery—because only a Rebex blade slices clean through sizzling brat and kraut without the ol’ slip-and-fling.
Use promo code GRILL15 for 15% off your entire order at Rebex Cutlery!

💡 Grill’n Wisdom:

Butter isn’t optional. It’s the soul of this recipe.
The sauerkraut and caraway combo makes this dish feel like Oktoberfest in your backyard.
Grilling it all in a cast iron roaster locks in flavor and delivers the perfect brat bath. If you’re not drooling yet, read it again slower.
Got leftovers? Chop it all up and toss it on a pizza. You’re welcome.

🔥 Final Sizzle
These Pepper Onion Brats aren’t just food—they’re a Midwest state of mind. They’re smoky. They’re buttery. They’re bold. They’re the kind of meal that makes neighbors mysteriously show up right around dinnertime.
So fire up your Pit Boss, grab your favorite drink (we recommend Sun Drop or something hoppy), and bring the family together for a brat bath you’ll be dreaming about until next weekend.

Mad Dog & Merrill® Midwest Grill’n—bringing buttered brat brilliance to your backyard one sizzling cast iron roaster at a time.
Want more flavor-packed chaos like this?
👉 Join the Grill’n Club for free recipes, bonus content, and a lifetime of grill glory.
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👉 Find us in local stores, at festivals, or wherever the smell of brats fills the air.

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Krupnik: The Spiced Honey Elixir of Midwest Legends

Polish Pickle Poppers: A Bacon-Wrapped Brine Bomb from the Grill

Cucumber Cream Salad: Cool, Creamy & Caraway’d Away

Pepper Onion Brats: A Midwest Flavor Bomb Straight from the Grill

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