Johnsonville launches grilling fashion line
Wisconsin sausage maker Johnsonville doesn’t want fashion to impede springtime grilling.
Johnsonville launched its first line of spring grilling gear Tuesday, the 43° and Above Collection. The line was previewed at Wisconsin fashion week in Sheboygan Falls, as covered by the state’s favorite fake newscaster and host of the Manitowoc Minute, Charlie Berens.
“This is the stuff that will keep ‘er movin’ when a little spring surprise wants to kill your grilling mojo,” Berens said in the video posted to his YouTube page. Like Tuesday, the first official day of spring, when the high was a mere 34 degrees.
Berens pokes fun at Wisconsinites jumping the gun and pulling out tank tops, shorts and sandals when the temperature rises just above freezing.
“They’re also wearing shivering regret on their faces,” he said.
So the Johnsonville line is a mashup of summer fashions with chilly sensibilities. A tank that reads “sun’s out buns out” is printed onto a long sleeve Tshirt. Socks come with the Johnsonville sandals, with a separation between the big toe and the rest of the sock to avoid bunching.
“Bob can’t be worrying about bunching while he’s grilling. Bob’s an O-G (original griller),” Berens said.
Johnsonville also came up with koozie-mittens to keep your drink cold and hands warm, an ice scraper-spatula combo and a USB-heated lawn chair. The spa-sage hot tub comes with a floating Lazy Susan to keep your brats dry.
Pieces in the collection range from $10 to $450. The fashions can be purchased online at 43andabove.com.
Oh my gosh!
The Sheboygan Falls-based meat company sells brats, Italian sausage, breakfast sausage, meatballs and chicken in all 50 states and 40 countries.