It's the pits: barbecue—ribs, pulled pork, brisket and chicken—sweeps the country

Cheers, March, 2003 by Aurora Gallagher

When Columbus landed on what is now Puerto Rico, he saw Taino natives slow-roasting meat on a grid over a pit filled with smoldering, burned down wood. "Barbacoa," the Taino called it.

The uniquely Western Hemisphere passion for modern pit cookery may derive from barbecue's v-e-r-y s-l-o-w cooking method, which, unlike grilling or broiling, roasts meat over smoldering wood in an enclosed space at temperatures between 175 and 250.

In Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas, barbecue means fall-off-the-bone pork shoulder, chopped and heaped on a bun with coleslaw. In Kentucky, barbecued mutton reigns, and in Texas, it's beef brisket. Today's inclusive barbecue spirit embraces diversity; Even the most traditional joints round out their menus with chicken and turkey breast, country ham or sausage. Beef and pork ribs rule everywhere.

As for wood, most prefer hickory. Steve Gressett, co-owner of Clark's Outpost, Tioga, Texas, where the beef brisket spends 72 hours in the pit, allows that there can be a little oak, if there's enough hickory, and some Southwestern barbecuers employ mesquite. Either way, as Ken Bosley of the Moonlite Bar-B-Q in Owensboro, Kentucky, says, "smoke makes the barbecue."

But with smoke comes thirst, bringing up the question that must have been raised right after the discovery of fire: what to drink with that rack of ribs?

What complements the deep, smoky flavor?

LIGHT UP

Across the country, the answer resounds: "COLD BEER!" Barbecue venues reflect general trends: light beers dominate. Bud Light outsells the pack, with Miller Lite and Coors Light nipping at its heels.

Another barbecue tradition is to serve a local brew. "On draft," says Morgan Hull, vice president for food and beverages, Tony Roma's 225 unit chain that grew from a little restaurant in North Miami. "We always have Bud Light, Budweiser, and a local specialty, like Shiner Bock."

Virgil's Real BBQ, in the middle of Times Square, attracts tourists from all over the world. "Budweiser brings in the whole promotion," says Steven Kleitz, beverage manager, "and the momentum of their powerhouse advertising. It's America's beer. A big, fast-moving presence like that, interestingly enough, makes room for exceptions. Our customers like our selection - we offer 60 bottled beers and run six taps. American tourists may enjoy looking, but drink what they find familiar, for the most part, and European tourists are much more interested in local and heavier brews including the private label 'Virgil's' made for us by a microbrewery in Vermont."

Virgil's also carries locally-produced Brooklyn Pilsner, and when another local brewer rolled out their New York Harbor Light, they worked with Virgil's staff to promote it.

At the Gale Street Inn in Chicago, Miller Lite outsells the competition, Amstel Light does a brisk trade, and the favorite on tap is Bass Ale. "We also move a lot of Guinness Stout," owner George Karzas adds. "We use the two-pour serving method (pour down the side of the glass, allow to settle five seconds, then directly pour the creamy head) and we always ask, 'Can I build you another Guinness?' We serve our local Goose Island Brewery's Honker's Ale and from the new Two Brothers microbrewery in nearby DuPage County, we especially like the Country French Ale with our food."

Stubb's Bar-B-Q, Austin, presents live music in an open inner courtyard, and keeps glass out of that area. Anheuser-Busch provides 16ounce wide-mouth plastic bottles of Bud and Bud Light for the shows. Other favorite beers (in cans) are Shiner Bock, Lone Star, Miller Liet and Dos Equis.

Co-owner Steve Gressett of Clark's Outpost says "we have a full bar, but what we sell the most of is Bud Light, easily twice as much as our other beers, followed by Coors Light and Shiner Bock."

THE PERCENTAGE

Sales of beverage alcohol as a percentage of total sales range from about 15% at Clark's Outpost, near 30% in many barbecue restaurants and rise to 51% at Stubb's. (Clark's is in "dry" jurisdiction of Texas, so it operates as a private club. Membership in the club costs $3 and is good for a year. "We have a full bar," co-owner Steve Gressett says, "and among mixed drinks, the Margarita sells the best.")

Jason Burton, Stubb's bar manager, says "By far the greatest contribution to sales of alcoholic beverages comes from our live music shows." Gale Street's Karzas believes attentive service is the key to optimal beverage sales. "Timing is all!" he maintains. "Asking at just the right time, making the right suggestion, can enhance the ticket and communicate that feeling to the customer that they're being looked after, not plied or ignored."

The Gale Street Inn clientele is highly eclectic, Karzas goes on, "and they enjoy the charge diversity generates -- it's a big-city feeling to see clergy, moguls, pols, the glamorous and working people all together rubbing elbows. We're a neighborhood restaurant that draws from all over the city because we're directly across the street from the public transit hub. We let people combine ribs with just about anything else we offer. All this makes it a challenge to 'read' your tables, so we train our staff to be observant and attentive."