For Jamal Etienne-Harrigan, it all began with cake.
Jamal, the face behind Uncle Jammy’s Sauces and Rubs, started his culinary career in the kitchen as a baker for Red Lobster, turning cocktails into confections. One night, he got the go-ahead to create a sauce for wings instead — and with that, he was “He was henceforth known as Uncle Jammy the sauce guy,” reads their website.
His first and flagship sauce, Area 51, took inspiration from his alcohol-infused cakes, combining avocado, jalapeños, and tequila. Barbeque flavors, which are now the focus of the business, came later, when Jamal was working at Quaker Steak & Lube.
In 2010, Jamal officially launched Uncle Jammy’s, a line of sauces and rubs with all-natural ingredients that were preservative-free. Alcohol infusions remained a big piece of his flavorings, high-quality tequila on the ingredient list of his flagship Area 51 sauce and a local IPA taking the stage in Hooray for IPA BBQ sauce.
Jamal says Smile for Smokey is the sauce that showcases Uncle Jammy’s barbeque style the most. It’s a fusion of the sweet molasses flavors in the Midwest and vinegar styles of the South, creating a sweet and tangy taste.
He takes inspiration from everywhere to create a new sauce, pulling “big flavors of his childhood” — his early life revolved around food and watching his family work their “kitchen magic — and combines them with trends and what his community asks for:
“I like to pay attention to trends and what goes on on cooking shows. I always read food articles online and listen to customers. Say Yes to Sriracha was in response to Sriracha in everything trend, Area 51 was related to UFOs and the X-Files, Your Arrogance Amuses Me and Hooray for IPA were due to collaborations, Vanta B. Startin Somethin was inspired by the Japanese Kuro Burger, and What-a-Wonderful Wing Rub and Happy Ranch were requested by small retailers,” he explained.
Jamal, who sees value in his partnership with Harvie through the faces of new and unique people they can reach through each delivery, has two products on Harvie: Hooray for IPA and River City Rub. Try one in your next delivery!