Lakes Spices was founded in 2020 by Zach and Annie Kolar. Zach has been smoking meat, creating custom rubs, and making back yard BBQ for over a decade in Minnesota. Our philosophy is that great BBQ is a labor of love - so we are committed to bringing you great spices and teaching our own techniques through BBQ tutorials.

Zach started cooking BBQ on a snowy December evening in Minnesota over 12 years ago, on a Webber Kettle Grill, and was instantly addicted to the lifestyle. Over the years we have strived to learn many regional techniques and recipes to broaden our menu and our BBQ knowledge. Through 2019 and 2020 we developed many spice and rub combinations that allow you to impart a smoky and/or BBQ flavor in your favorite foods whether you are using a smoker, a grill, or a frying pan over the range. Our first customers have told us that they used the spices to impart smoke on bacon and omelets in the morning, as well as complex BBQ cooks for an evening meal. We have designed our spices to be versatile, while allowing your meal to taste like authentic BBQ.

Before COVID-19 shut down much of our daily lives in 2020, we were planning to compete in KCBS competitions throughout the Mid-West; however, we needed to put those plans on hold indefinitely. We are hopeful we can still compete and showcase our spices in the near future. Until then, we will be selling our spices through our website, and will update when they are available for purchase in stores.

We are committed to creating intuitive BBQ tutorials - we will provide updates on our social media platforms as videos, recipes, and blog posts are uploaded. Annie and I want to share our love of BBQ with the world, and teach everyone tips and tricks we continue to learn throughout our cooking adventure.

Have fun, and enjoy your own cooking experience!

-Zach Kolar