ARE DRUM SMOKERS THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN BARBECUE?

For decades, the image of serious American barbecue has been tied to the hulking silhouette of a trailer pit rolling into a competition ground before sunrise. These rigs, some weighing well over a thousand pounds, became symbols of commitment, craftsmanship, and pride. To compete meant to haul. To chase the perfect brisket meant to maintain fire in a pit so large it practically announced your presence before you even turned into the lot. But something is shifting in the world of competitive barbecue—something lighter, sleeker, more mobile—and it’s arriving in the back of a pickup truck rather than behind it. Drum smokers, once considered a fringe tool for experimental pitmasters, are rapidly becoming the new standard, and none have risen higher or faster than the Gateway Drum Smoker.

Walk through a professional barbecue competition today and you’ll notice a new rhythm between teams. Yes, you’ll still see the legacy rigs: the offset trailers, the insulated cabinets, the long steel beasts polished like race cars. But you’ll also see clusters of drums, also called UGLY DRUM SMOKERS—compact, brightly painted cylinders quietly holding temperature with surprising consistency. More and more teams are embracing them, not as a secondary cooker, but as their primary weapon. And the reasons are obvious to anyone who has spent a weekend loading and unloading a traditional pit. A Gateway Drum Smoker can be rolled into a truck bed with ease. It doesn’t demand a trailer hitch, a second adult, or a full tank of gas just to move it. It brings world-class performance in a footprint that fits the lifestyle of the modern pitmaster, whether that’s a competitor hitting six cookoffs a year or a weekend warrior smoking ribs at the lake house.

But convenience alone doesn’t win trophies. The rise of drum smokers is tied directly to the flavor profile they produce: a clean, intensified heat that kisses meat rather than blanketing it in heavy smoke. The airflow design of a Gateway forces fat and juices to vaporize as they drip, creating an unmistakable “drum flavor”—a hybrid of smoke, char, and sizzle that judges increasingly reward. In a world where half a point can separate first place from tenth, consistency matters just as much as creativity. Drum smokers offer both. They heat quickly, recover rapidly after opening, and allow cooks to switch between low-and-slow and hot-and-fast styles without sacrificing control. In short, they empower more cooks to produce elite barbecue, and they do it with far less equipment.

This evolution reflects a cultural shift within American barbecue itself. As the sport grows, accessibility matters. New competitors want to enter without needing to invest in a trailer or storage barn. Families want a smoker they can take on vacation. Backyard pitmasters want serious results without committing to a permanent backyard monument of steel. The Gateway Drum Smoker meets all these demands—and does it without compromise.

And as any seasoned cook knows, the smoker is only half the story. The fuel shapes the flavor, and versatility is where drum smokers shine even brighter. At Grill Masters Pro Shop, we’ve paired our Gateway lineup with an outstanding selection of hardwoods and charcoals tailored for peak drum performance. Big Green Egg’s premium lump charcoal delivers consistent heat and clean burn. FOGO offers bold, high-density lump that lasts through long cooks and brings deep, natural flavor. B&B adds a rugged Texas edge with its renowned oak, mesquite, and lump blends. Blues Hog rounds it out with competition-grade charcoal and wood that brings championship pedigree to any cook. Whatever flavor profile an aspiring competitor or traveling pitmaster wants to chase, the right pairing of drum and fuel is sitting on our shelves.

So, are drum smokers the future of American barbecue? The evidence is mounting in

competition results, in tailgate lots, on lake shores, and in the beds of pickup trucks across the country. Barbecue will always honor its traditions, but innovation has never been its enemy. The Gateway Drum Smoker represents a new frontier—one where world-class barbecue becomes more mobile, more accessible, and more aligned with the way people actually live and cook today. Maybe the better question isn’t whether drum smokers will define the future, but whether the future has already arrived.

Grill Masters Pro Shop is proud to announce we are now an authorized dealer of Gateway

Drum Smokers. These competition-proven drums are built for serious performance, and we are thrilled to bring them directly to our customers.

If you’ve ever thought about stepping into the world of hot-and-fast cooking, improving your competition results, or simply enjoying elite-level barbecue wherever life takes you, now is the perfect time to come see one in person. Stop by Grill Masters Pro Shop, take a look at the new Gateway Drum Smokers, and let us help you choose the model—and the fuel—that will take your barbecue to the next level. We’d love to show you why so many pros are making the switch.

Happy grilling and Merry Christmas!

From: The team at Grill Masters Pro Shop