3 Excellent Bourbons to Pair with BBQ
There are many great bourbons that pair well with barbecue.
This is the web edition of the NYC BBQ Weekly newsletter. If you would like to receive this in your inbox for free each week, subscribe here!
During the pandemic, bars in New York City and much of the country closed their doors or only offered drinks to-go. Sadly, this meant many missed opportunities to hang out with friends and a lot of pain for bar owners and workers. However, on the bright side, I spent the past year learning much more about bourbon and began trying more varieties.
Once you start spending time in this world, the sheer amount of styles and price points can be a little daunting. I had a little help navigating and getting recommendations from Facebook groups like Smoke + Mash and YouTube channels like Bourbon Junkies.
Now that I’ve spent a lot more time with bourbon and have a decent collection, it makes sense to share a few bourbon picks that pair well with barbecue, another thing I love. Here are three great bottles of bourbon (and one bonus rye) to drink at your next barbecue gathering.
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel is aged in charred barrels, giving it a rich, smoky flavor.
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel
Elijah Craig Small Batch is one of the most popular and easy to find bourbons out there. If you like Small Batch but want to up the flavor, you need to check out Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel. This is a 94-proof bourbon that finishes the aging process in a flash-charred barrel, so it is both smoky and sweet. It has rich notes of marshmallow, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and baking spices. It can pair well with just about any smoky barbecue that you’re eating.
Knob Creek’s 12-year-old aged bourbon has a deep flavor profile with lots of oak.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Knob Creek is another popular bourbon that a lot of people have tried, but the 12 Year expression of the brand takes it to another level. It has a lot of complex flavors and is completely worth the $60 price tag. It has strong notes of oak, cinnamon, and brown sugar, which pairs well with a lot of barbecue. Knob Creek 12 Year is one of my favorite recent additions to my collection, and I think you’ll enjoy it too.
Old Grand-Dad Bonded offers surprising value and a lighter profile that pairs well with lots of meats.
Old Grand-Dad Bonded
While not the most sought-after bourbon, Old Grand-Dad Bonded can pair well with a lot of barbecue items (especially burgers and brisket) because it’s smooth, does not overwhelm, and still has fun flavors. This bourbon has notes of caramel, oak, cinnamon, and dark fruits throughout. And at less than $25 a bottle, this is one of the highest-value bottles of bourbon you’ll find on the shelf.
Old Forester Rye is a high-value bonus pick to pair with your BBQ.
Bonus Pick: Old Forester Rye
While I don’t drink as much rye whiskey as I do bourbon, I want to also shout out Old Forester Rye as another great pick for drinking with barbecue. Old Forester Rye has hints of burnt bread, banana, brown sugar, vanilla, and baking spices. It offers a tremendously high value, retailing for less than $25 in most stores throughout the country. You will not find a better rye option at the store in this price range.
--
These are just a handful of my favorite bourbons to sip alongside barbecue, but please let me know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram what your favorites are too!
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
The brisket made by Bret Lunsford at Blue Smoke will likely be one of the top contenders at Brisket King NYC on April 21. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
Blue Smoke pitmaster and executive chef Bret Lunsford was recently interviewed by the fine folks at Food Karma Projects, where he spoke about making it through the pandemic and competing at the Brisket King NYC event on April 21. Lunsford will be bringing a strong brisket game to the event, as he is now making some of the best Texas-style brisket in NYC. READ HERE.
After being closed for more than a year due to the pandemic, famed New York City steakhouse Smith & Wollensky has announced it will reopen for indoor and outdoor dining on April 20th. READ HERE.
Michael Dolan, a former Wall Street trader, has signed a contract to open four franchise locations of Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque in the borough of Queens. He spoke with 1851 Franchise about how he came to the idea of franchising, why he wanted to work with Mighty Quinn’s, and his first location, which is set to open later this summer at 108-22 Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills. READ HERE.
Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse, a kosher barbecue spot that recently opened its second location on the Upper West Side, was mentioned by the New York Post in a roundup of old and new restaurants whose business is starting to pick back up after the lows of the pandemic. READ HERE.
In the latest issue of The Smoke Sheet (the sibling newsletter of NYC BBQ Weekly), Ryan Cooper and I rounded up five tips for making barbecue on a budget. Anyone who prepares (or attempts to prepare) barbecue will likely enjoy the tips we share. READ HERE.
On the latest edition of This Week In Grilling & BBQ, I spoke with BBQ Tourist Ryan Cooper, Grill Gril Robyn Lindars, and Uncle Chico’s BBQ about the latest in barbecue news and tacos. Come join us every Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern on Facebook. SEE HERE.
IRL BBQ EVENTS
Brisket King 2021 will be the first great BBQ event of the year, and will feature pitmasters like Handsome Devil's Ed Randolph.
April 21, 2021: If you love brisket, you won’t want to miss Brisket King NYC 2021. More than 15 chefs and pitmasters will be there serving up their take on brisket and pastrami. Read more about the 2019 edition of Brisket King or about the importance of Brisket King to the BBQ community. BUY TICKETS HERE.
May 29, 2021: This Memorial Day weekend, you won’t want to miss the food, drinks, and fun at the 5 Boro PicNYC at Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island. This event will feature a new version of the Rib King NYC competition, winners from Sauce King NYC showing off their best sauces, and much more. BUY TICKETS HERE.
July 31 & August 1st, 2021: The 11th Annual Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival will be back at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint for a two-day event. This event focuses on bourbon and beer tastings, along with multiple barbecue joints serving up lots of excellent smoked meats. BUY TICKETS HERE.
September 11, 2021: At the end of the summer, Pig Island NYC will celebrate its 12th year on September 11, 2021, at Snug Harbor on Staten Island. Join in for all-inclusive food and drink, from all-star pitmasters and chefs who will be serving up delicious porky goodness, as well as local breweries, distilleries, and cideries. Top chefs will compete for the best dishes and event-goers reap the benefits. BUY TICKETS HERE.
October 16-17, 2021: The 8th Annual Hot Sauce Expo NYC will be back for two days in fall 2021. The event will be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint and will feature tons of hot sauce samples, barbecue, and beer to purchase, fun on-stage events, and more. BUY TICKETS HERE.
NOTE: Due to COVID-19, information concerning events in NYC is subject to change, and events may be rescheduled. CHECK OUT THE FULL EVENTS CALENDAR HERE.
SAY HELLO
If you're not already subscribed to the newsletter, sign up here. You can also follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. If you want to write for NYC BBQ Weekly, sponsor the newsletter, or let me know about the best new barbecue you’ve tried, send me an email and let’s talk!