The Tale of Dead Rooster Co.

Dead Rooster Co. started like all good things do… around a grill, with a bunch of hungry folks and a cooler full of cold ones.

It was summer 2011, and the founder Jordan Winn was out with our entire crew at a friend’s family farm for the Fourth of July. The family’s usual grillmaster had a long-standing tradition of smoking all meats, but we decided to throw a little something of our own on the smoker: pork shoulders rubbed down with a new dry rub blend Jordan had been experimenting with. By the end of the night, our meat platter was completely wiped clean… while a bunch of the traditional meats were uneaten.  We felt a *little* bad, but it made us think maybe we were onto something.

Among the group that day was a fine American named Ryan Brady… just another guy enjoying the food, unaware that over a decade later, he'd be the one carrying the Dead Rooster name forward.

What followed that weekend was a deep dive into the craft of dry rubs. Jordan began hosting weekly “Family Dinners”, testing blends, gathering feedback, and fine-tuning recipes with some local friends. After months of trial and error, he landed on a handful of standout rubs – the blends that we still sell today.

Word spread fast. What started as a few gifts for friends and coworkers turned into a steady stream of requests. Jordan designed the packaging and launched a flash sale to test the waters. 180 bags sold out in seven days, and more had to be made just to meet the extra demand.

Dead Rooster Co. had found its footing.

A few years later, Jordan’s brother Tyler joined the operation, bringing with him a mind for systems, logistics, and scaling. With Tyler’s help, the business expanded to Amazon Prime, launched a wholesale program, and streamlined fulfillment.

In 2024, the company passed into new hands… but not unfamiliar ones. Ryan Brady, who had been there from day one, became the new owner of DRCO. With a deep respect for the brand’s roots, Ryan is breathing new life into the rooster with his fresh vision for its future.

See what others have said about us:

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