On a warm summer’s evening you just can’t beat the scent of delicious meats being grilled on a barbeque. Just the smell of it’s enough to make you salivate. Now, before you say anything, I know you can probably count the amount of perfect BBQ weather days we get each year in the UK on one hand, but even so, any chance I get to break out the barbie I clasp with both hands. 

I’ve recently gotten into barbeque and smoking meats (as well as fish and veggies) and I’ve found that many of the various sauces, rubs, and glazes include bourbon as a key ingredient. As you’d imagine, this really gets me excited as, here at Great Drams, we’re all about the whisky/whiskey. 

Bourbon and BBQ go together like fish and chips and there’s a strong link between the Southern states of America, bourbon, and BBQ. Today I want to take a quick look at this link and find out why bourbon pairs so well with BBQ. 

What is Bourbon?

Bourbon whiskey is the most popular type of whiskey in the America. It is produced in Bourbon County, Kentucky, in the deep south of the USA. 

By legal definition, in order for a whiskey to be classed as bourbon, it must contain at least 51% corn. Basically, the mash must predominantly be corn, unlike a single-malt Scotch, which is made from 100% malted barley. 

Most bourbons contain a mash of between 70% and 75%. The rest of the mash is made up of grains such as rye, barley, and wheat. The whiskey must also be stored in a new charred oak barrel and aged for a minimum of two years. 

Bourbon Flavour Profile

Bourbon whiskey generally has a sweeter flavour thanks to its high concentrations of corn. 

You also get strong notes of vanilla, honey, caramel, maple, smoke, caramelized sugar, and oak thanks to the aging process. 

Other common flavours and notes include: 

• Toffee apple 
• Bonfire toffee
• Baked apples 
• Winter spices
• Black pepper 
• Buttery salted popcorn 

Why Bourbon and BBQ Work so Well Together

BBQ in itself is an art. My own idea of BBQ used to be incinerating sausages and burgers on the outside, and leaving them raw in the middle on one of those awful disposable trays that never got hot enough. 

In America, especially the South, they take BBQ very seriously. You can have grilling, where you cook over direct heat at a high temperature, or barbequing/smoking, where you cook low and slow using smoke and indirect heat for several hours. 

Traditionally, you’ll find that bourbons such as Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Buffalo Trace, and plenty of others, are considered synonymous with authentic American BBQ. I’d love to tell you about the history of bourbon and BBQ, but in truth, I don’t know. From what I can find out, nobody does. It just kind of happened. But why? Well, it’s all in the taste. 

Bourbons are generally characterised as sweet and smoky. Do you know what else is sweet and smoky? Barbecue, that’s what. The sweet vanilla, caramel, and maple syrup notes pair very well with popular BBQ dishes such as pulled pork and ribs. The touch of char and smoke also goes great with more savoury meats like brisket and burgers and can really lift any BBQ sauce and turn it into something very special. I’ve even found it goes great with smoked BBQ beans. 

Basically, bourbon whiskey has sweet and smoky notes that go perfectly with BBQ. That’s why people will spritz their meat with it, use it in their sauces and marinades, and even use it as a binder to help the rubs stick in some cases. Of course, one of the best ways to enjoy a bourbon is to sip on it in the sunshine as you’re grilling up some amazing dishes. That’s how I like to enjoy it anyway. 

For more info on your favourite bourbon whiskey, along with plenty more on single-malt Scotch, Irish whiskey, and plenty more, make sure you check out GreatDrams.com. 

At GreatDrams, you’ll find plenty of whisky info, buying guides, and of course, a selection of amazing, award-winning, limited edition whiskies that you just can’t find anywhere else.  

On a warm summer’s evening you just can’t beat the scent of delicious meats being grilled on a barbeque. Just the smell of it’s enough to make you salivate. Now, before you say anything, I know you can probably count the amount of perfect BBQ weather days we get each year in the UK on one hand, but even so, any chance I get to break out the barbie I clasp with both hands. 

I’ve recently gotten into barbeque and smoking meats (as well as fish and veggies) and I’ve found that many of the various sauces, rubs, and glazes include bourbon as a key ingredient. As you’d imagine, this really gets me excited as, here at Great Drams, we’re all about the whisky/whiskey. 

Bourbon and BBQ go together like fish and chips and there’s a strong link between the Southern states of America, bourbon, and BBQ. Today I want to take a quick look at this link and find out why bourbon pairs so well with BBQ. 

What is Bourbon?

Bourbon whiskey is the most popular type of whiskey in the America. It is produced in Bourbon County, Kentucky, in the deep south of the USA. 

By legal definition, in order for a whiskey to be classed as bourbon, it must contain at least 51% corn. Basically, the mash must predominantly be corn, unlike a single-malt Scotch, which is made from 100% malted barley. 

Most bourbons contain a mash of between 70% and 75%. The rest of the mash is made up of grains such as rye, barley, and wheat. The whiskey must also be stored in a new charred oak barrel and aged for a minimum of two years. 

Bourbon Flavour Profile

Bourbon whiskey generally has a sweeter flavour thanks to its high concentrations of corn. 

You also get strong notes of vanilla, honey, caramel, maple, smoke, caramelized sugar, and oak thanks to the aging process. 

Other common flavours and notes include: 

• Toffee apple 
• Bonfire toffee
• Baked apples 
• Winter spices
• Black pepper 
• Buttery salted popcorn 

Why Bourbon and BBQ Work so Well Together

BBQ in itself is an art. My own idea of BBQ used to be incinerating sausages and burgers on the outside, and leaving them raw in the middle on one of those awful disposable trays that never got hot enough. 

In America, especially the South, they take BBQ very seriously. You can have grilling, where you cook over direct heat at a high temperature, or barbequing/smoking, where you cook low and slow using smoke and indirect heat for several hours. 

Traditionally, you’ll find that bourbons such as Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Buffalo Trace, and plenty of others, are considered synonymous with authentic American BBQ. I’d love to tell you about the history of bourbon and BBQ, but in truth, I don’t know. From what I can find out, nobody does. It just kind of happened. But why? Well, it’s all in the taste. 

Bourbons are generally characterised as sweet and smoky. Do you know what else is sweet and smoky? Barbecue, that’s what. The sweet vanilla, caramel, and maple syrup notes pair very well with popular BBQ dishes such as pulled pork and ribs. The touch of char and smoke also goes great with more savoury meats like brisket and burgers and can really lift any BBQ sauce and turn it into something very special. I’ve even found it goes great with smoked BBQ beans. 

Basically, bourbon whiskey has sweet and smoky notes that go perfectly with BBQ. That’s why people will spritz their meat with it, use it in their sauces and marinades, and even use it as a binder to help the rubs stick in some cases. Of course, one of the best ways to enjoy a bourbon is to sip on it in the sunshine as you’re grilling up some amazing dishes. That’s how I like to enjoy it anyway. 

For more info on your favourite bourbon whiskey, along with plenty more on single-malt Scotch, Irish whiskey, and plenty more, make sure you check out GreatDrams.com. 

At GreatDrams, you’ll find plenty of whisky info, buying guides, and of course, a selection of amazing, award-winning, limited edition whiskies that you just can’t find anywhere else.