A summer barbecue is more than just mouthwatering meats and tangy sauces—it’s a complete sensory experience. To elevate your next cookout, let’s dive into the best drink pairings for popular barbecue styles. Whether you’re a fan of Memphis-style pork or Texas beef brisket, we’ve got the perfect BBQ Cocktails to complement your feast.

Elevate Your Summer BBQ: The Magic of Perfect Drink Pairings

Summer barbecues are more than just a meal; they’re a celebration of flavor, fun, and friendship. And what’s the secret ingredient to making your BBQ truly unforgettable? Perfectly paired beverages!

Drink pairings are the unsung heroes of outdoor dining, enhancing the taste of your food and elevating the overall experience. Imagine the smoky richness of your grilled ribs enhanced by a crisp beer, or the complex layers of a barbecue sauce complemented by a fine wine.

The right drink can transform an ordinary BBQ into an extraordinary feast, making each bite and sip a moment to savor. So, let’s dive into the world of drink pairings and discover how you can make your summer soirée stand out!

4 BBQ Styles: Discover Your Perfect bbq Cocktails Pairings

Ready to take your BBQ bash to the next level? Let’s explore our curated list of drink pairings tailored specifically to elevate different BBQ styles. Whether you’re a fan of smoky Texas brisket, savory Kansas City ribs, or tangy Carolina pulled pork, we’ve got the perfect drink to match. Each pairing has been carefully selected to enhance the unique flavors of your BBQ feast, making every bite and sip more delightful than the last.

Memphis-Style BBQ: Beer & Wine Pairings

Memphis-style barbecue, known for its peppery, vinegar-based sauce and succulent pork, calls for drinks that can cut through the fat and enhance the flavors. Memphis style BBQ prepares ribs in two ways: wet and dry.

bbq cocktails - memphis style — Photo Source

Memphis-Style BBQ Characteristics

Memphis Style BBQ Meat: The essence of Memphis-style BBQ lies in its variety, with wet ribs, dry ribs, and pulled pork leading the charge. However, menus often feature an array of other barbecued delights.
Memphis Style Dry Rub: A harmonious blend of salt, brown sugar, white sugar, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, ginger powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and rosemary powder creates the foundation of flavor that Memphis BBQ is known for.
Memphis Style Wood: While hickory remains the traditional choice for smoking, contemporary Memphis pitmasters frequently turn to fruitwoods like pecan to infuse their meats with a distinctive flavor.
Memphis BBQ Sauce: This thin, tangy sauce is a mix of ketchup, white vinegar, brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt, adding a zesty finish to the meats.
Memphis Style Sides: Complementing the main event, sides like barbeque spaghetti, coleslaw, hush puppies, BBQ baked beans, southern green beans, corn on the cob, and French fries round out the quintessential Memphis BBQ experience.

What BBQ Cocktails Go Good With Memphis-Style BBQ?

Beer: An authentic Belgian Saison like Saison Dupont offers bright, dry, and zesty effervescence, making it an excellent match. Other saisons can be enjoyed as farmhouse ales like Tank 7 from Boulevard. Or you may prefer a heartier, malt-laden Porter to balance the sauce like a Founders Porter.

Wine: For wine lovers, a white wine with citrus notes like Bodegas Naia Rueda Verdejo or a smoky, spicy Malbec such as Gascon Reserve from Argentina works wonders.

Carolina-Style BBQ: Beer & Wine Pairings

Carolina-style barbecue, renowned for its slow-roasted whole hog, stands as one of the oldest culinary traditions in the United States. This method involves the meticulous process of cooking an entire hog for 12 to 24 hours, ensuring every cut is perfectly tender.

In Carolina, while various regional sauces are used to dress the finished meat, the hallmark of this style is the use of a mop sauce. This thin sauce, applied by “mopping” or brushing over the meat throughout the cooking process, keeps it moist and flavorful.

Mop sauces typically incorporate ingredients like vinegar, apple cider, tomato juice, or beer. However, in Carolina barbecue, the vinegar-based mop sauce reigns supreme, embodying the essence of this timeless cooking technique.

Carolina-Style BBQ Characteristics

Carolina Style BBQ Meat – This tradition is epitomized by whole hog BBQ and succulent pulled pork shoulders, though you’ll also encounter ribs, chicken, brisket, and turkey gracing the menus.
Carolina Style Dry Rub – Characterized by a minimalist approach to seasonings, pitmasters meticulously baste the meat with a flavorful mop sauce throughout its prolonged cooking journey.
Carolina Style Wood – Hickory wood takes center stage, offering its signature aroma, though oak is sometimes introduced as a complementary choice.
Carolina BBQ Sauce – The sauce landscape is diverse: South Carolina is famed for its mustard-based Carolina Gold sauce; Eastern North Carolina champions a sharp, vinegar-based sauce; and Western North Carolina is home to the ketchup and vinegar-infused Lexington Style sauce, also known as Piedmont Sauce.
Carolina Style Sides – The accompaniments are as distinctive as the main dishes, featuring Carolina style red slaw (a vibrant red vinegar-based coleslaw), tender collard greens, savory baked beans, refreshing black-eyed pea salad, crispy hushpuppies, and classic potato salad.

What BBQ Cocktails Go Good With carolina-Style BBQ?

Beer: An American IPA with sweet, malty flavors and citrus notes will do the trick such as Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA or Bell’s Hazy Hearted IPA. Any Rye Ales that cut through the mustard-based sauces and acidity of the vinegar will also work!

Wine: Consider a bright, high-acid white wine or a chilled Louis Jadot Beaujolais to highlight fruity notes.

Texas-Style BBQ: Beer & Wine Pairings

Texas barbecue, characterized by slow-smoked beef brisket, East Texas Hot Links, and pork ribs with hot, vinegar-based dressings, needs robust drinks to stand up to its bold flavors.

Texas-Style BBQ Characteristics

Texas Style BBQ Meat – brisket, beef ribs, pork ribs, and sausages are the foundation of Texas BBQ, but you’ll find pulled pork, turkey, and chicken on menus too
Texas Style Dry Rub – dry mustard and chili powder-based rub, customized to each pitmaster’s liking
Texas Style Wood – oak, mesquite, post oak, hickory, pecan, oak lump briquettes
Texas BBQ Sauce – Texas pitmasters use a thin, flavorsome mop sauce to baste and/or marinate brisket. Texas style mop sauces often include meat drippings, cumin, Worcestershire, and hot sauce in their blends.
Texas Style Sides – Texas Pinto Beans (spicy pinto beans loaded with chopped, smoked brisket), creamed corn, fried okra, mac n’ cheese, green beans, collard greens, Texas style potato salad (vinegar + mayo base, loaded with egg)

What BBQ Cocktails Go Good With Texas-Style BBQ?

Beer: Try a hometown brew like Shiner Bock or an amber lager with malty sweetness and hoppy tanginess. Or opt for a blonde ale that won’t compete with the flavors like a Leffe Blonde.

Wine: Pair with a plummy Sangiovese or a bold Shiraz, such as Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz, for their ability to handle spicy heat and rich flavors.

Kansas City-Style BBQ: Beer & Wine Pairings

Kansas City barbecue features smoky, thick tomato-and-molasses-based sauces, paired best with drinks that can match its richness.

Kansas CIty-Style BBQ Characteristics

Kansas City Style BBQ Meat encompasses an array of mouthwatering selections, including succulent burnt ends, flavorful Kansas City bacon, tender ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, and sausage.
The Kansas City Style Dry Rub is crafted with a perfect blend, featuring a two-to-one ratio of brown sugar to paprika, complemented by a selection of spices handpicked by chefs. Favorites among these are garlic powder, salt, black pepper, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and onion powder, each adding a unique layer of flavor.
When it comes to smoking, the wood of choice is the versatile hickory, preferred for its ability to enhance the Kansas City style with its distinctive aroma and taste.
The Kansas City BBQ Sauce stands out for its rich thickness, made with crushed tomatoes and ketchup, sweetened with brown sugar and molasses, then spiced with smoked paprika, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and ground mustard, creating a robust and memorable flavor.
Accompanying these BBQ delights, Kansas City Style Sides include creamy mayonnaise-based coleslaw, sweet and savory Kansas City baked beans (rich barbecue sauced navy beans loaded with burnt ends and bacon), green beans, creamy macaroni and cheese, collards, crispy fried okka, among other soul food classics, rounding off a truly authentic culinary experience.

What BBQ Cocktails Go Good With Kansas city-Style BBQ?

Beer: A malty dunkel will balance the molasses, and the hops will smooth out the spiciness of the thick Kansas City sauces – Try Erdinger Dunkel!

Wine: Red Zinfandel, like Gnarly Head Zinfandel Old Vine, with its fruity notes and hints of black pepper, perfectly complements this style.

Bourbon: The Versatile Southern Spirit

For a true taste of the South, consider pairing any barbecue with bourbon. Bourbon, made with a grain mixture of at least 51% corn and aged in charred American oak barrels, offers a sweet, woodsy flavor that pairs beautifully with smoked and grilled meats. Enjoy bourbon neat, over ice, or in a classic mint julep to cool down spicy dishes.

Non-Alcoholic Options

Don’t forget about non-alcoholic beverages that enhance the barbecue experience:

Wild Cherry Cheerwine: Originating from North Carolina, this soda offers a unique, sweet flavor profile.
Root Beer and Spicy Ginger Beer: Both provide a refreshing contrast to rich meats.
Dr. Pepper: Its complex blend of 23 flavors pairs well with various barbecue styles.

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Order Your BBQ Essentials

Ready to host an unforgettable barbecue? Visit our online store to order all your alcohol and beverage supplies for pickup. Let’s make your summer gatherings deliciously memorable!

Need help deciding on the best pairing for your BBQ style? Drop by our Effingham, IL store or contact us online. We’re here to help you create the ultimate summer soirée!