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Des Moines, IA (PRWEB) May 10, 2012

Shannon Duffy moved to Denver in 2008. As with many Denver implants, he quickly developed a love for the mountains and the Denver way of life. At the same time, he felt something critical was missing. As a born and raised Iowan, I found it impossible to find high quality bacon in the mountains, Shannon admitted. He continued, Shortly after moving here, I ordered bacon at an upscale Denver restaurant. Needless to say, I was disappointed with the quality and taste. I felt like Patrick Swayzes character in Dirty Dancing and someone had just put Baby in the corner.

A year later, Shannon found himself back in Iowa visiting his brother Erik. One morning the two dropped into a rural cafe for a warm breakfast. Shannon ordered a side of bacon. When the bacon arrived, he bit into one of the crispy strips. His emotions overwhelmed him. As Shannon fought back the tears, he shared his bacon struggles with his brother. Entrepreneurs at heart, the Duffy brothers soon realized there was an opportunity. They would create the best bacon in the world and bring it to the Rockies.

Within months, the Duffy brothers were able to find farmers in Iowa producing the finest Berkshire hogs. The heritage hogs were naturally raised and fed a 100% vegetarian diet. This produced an exceptional belly with an ideal meat-to-fat ratio for bacon. The brothers then developed a signature maple and spice rub, applied it to the bellies, dry cured them and then smoked them with cherry wood to perfection. In 2010, this delicious bacon became the launching pad for a successful food company, Tender Belly. Tender Belly Bacon is currently available in a variety of upscale restaurants and grocery stores throughout Colorado and Arizona.

The Duffy brothers arent the only native Iowans bringing bacon to Colorado. Brooks Reynolds of Des Moines, IA is doing his part. Reynolds is president and chairman of the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival, the worlds premier bacon festival. Held in Des Moines, Iowa, the festival offers a rich bacon educational lecture series and more bacon than a person could ever dream.

For the second year straight, Reynolds is working with Keystone Neighborhood Company to bring the festivals tour to Colorado. Reynolds explains the Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour as being much like the Crusaders introducing a large variety of spices from Asia to Western Europe during the Dark Ages. The Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour travels to places like Colorado and Iceland to transform the lives of bacon lovers by introducing a variety of bacon and bacon-inspired dishes from all over. Reynolds continues, Of course, we like to do all this while tossing back a few cold beers and bacon bloodies.

On June 23rd and 24th, the Duffy Brothers will join Reynolds in celebrating bacon at the Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour at River Run in Keystone, Colorado. The two-day event will feature a ton of Iowa bacon (2,000 lbs.) along with plenty of bacon from around the nation, bacon-inspired dishes from local and traveling restaurants, bacon bloody marys courtesy of Hawkeye Bacon Vodka and Pearl Vodka, live music, and samples of Beggin Strips

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