What to Pour at Your Next Cookout

Barbecue and whiskey pair well for a real reason: both develop flavor through smoke, char, and time.

Match the sauce

Sweet, tomato-based sauce pairs best with something spicier, a rye or high-rye bourbon that cuts through the sugar. Dry-rub barbecue, without much sauce, pairs well with a caramel-forward bourbon instead.

Match the fat content

Rich, fatty cuts like brisket point or pork belly hold up better against a higher-proof pour, which cuts through richness the same way acid or vinegar does in a sauce.

Match the char

A bourbon aged in a heavier char echoes barbecue's own charred exterior directly, since both develop flavor through a similar caramelization process.

Ask us next time you're stocking up for a cookout which of our current releases fits your specific style, sweet and sauced, or dry-rubbed and smoky.