Championship Recipe

rubs

Spice Beautiful — Hickory

This is the hickory-forward rub that built Arkansas Trav'ler championship rib plates in the 1980s and '90s. Jim used it to win in Ireland and Memphis. Lee and Michael learned to apply it as kids in 1989 — now it's yours.

Smoky hickory BBQ rub for ribs, brisket, and pork shoulder. Called 'the stuff of legend' by fans. Jim Quessenberry's championship recipe.

UPC
8-60015-85662-3
Size
3.7 oz
Case pack
12 units
$8.99
Pre-order open. Pre-orders are open now through Monday, July 13, 2026 while supplies last. Fulfillment begins Tuesday, July 14, 2026. All packages ship on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

One size per bottle — order singles or cases of 6 and 12.

  • Made in Arkansas by Jim Quessenberry's sons
  • Original 1980s championship recipes
  • Ships nationwide

Spice Beautiful Hickory is our smoky, savory, deep-flavored BBQ rub built to crust up a rack of ribs like nothing else in your cabinet. It’s got real hickory smoke flavor baked right in, paired with brown sugar, paprika, kosher salt, cracked pepper, and the rest of Jim’s secret blend. The result is a rub that builds a gorgeous dark bark, balances sweet and savory, and tastes like you spent the whole day tending the pit even if you just threw it on a sheet pan and called it a night.

Rub it hard onto pork ribs, brisket, pork shoulder, beef ribs, tri-tip, chicken thighs, or even a pork tenderloin. Works just as well on a ribeye in a cast iron as it does on a full packer brisket in a smoker. Sprinkle it on roasted vegetables, fries, or popcorn if you want to blow some minds.

Robert Meyer Burnett — CEO of Ludovico Technique — called our Hickory Rub “the stuff of legend,” and we’re not humble enough to leave that quote off the jar. It’s Jim’s championship recipe, it’s on sale, and it’s the fastest way we know to make something taste like it came off a real pit.

Championship Legacy

By Lee & Michael Quessenberry — continuing the exact recipes of two-time World Champion Pitmaster Jim Quessenberry and the Arkansas Trav'ler Cooking Team. Same championship flavors. Same small-batch approach. Same "We put the Q in BBQ!" attitude.

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