Barbecues & beer: Never too soon to start planning for spring - Beer Notes - Brief Article

Modern Brewery Age, Jan 28, 2002 by Greg Glaser

Since it's mid-winter in the Northern Hemisphere, where, like it or not, most of you are residing while reading this and I'm stuck, I mean, also dwelling at the moment I thought it an opportune time to write about summer barbecues and beer.

That most quintessential of American summertime pastimes is the backyard barbecue. The lawn is a carpet of thick, lush green, The trees are resplendent with leaves. The sky is so clear and blue your eyes become lost in the tranquility of it as you stare upwards, It's been a scorcher of a day, but now, in the early evening, a delightful coolness sets in. The patio is decked out with a table, umbrella and chairs. A lounge chair or two are off to the side. The hammock is within sight. Standing proud at the edge of the patio is the object of your efforts and energies for the next hour or so. The grille. Whether wood-, coal- or gas-fired, it's time to cook. It's time to barbecue.

And what goes best with the all-American backyard barbecue? Beer, of course. A 1999 survey sponsored by Portmeirion USA, the table ware manufacturer, found that beer tops the list as America's favorite at picnics and barbecues. So what that these stats are over two years old? We know in our hungry bellies that they stand firm. The study discovered that of the 103 million Americans who entertain during the summer, 87% host an outdoor picnic or barbecue. Beer tops the list as the most popular alcoholic beverage served outdoors, with 62% serving their favorite brew. This compares with 45% offering wine, 39% serving mixed drinks and 17% who popped the corks of the bubbly of their choice,

Now it does me no good to even begin to attempt to discuss the best beer to go with barbecue. The task is impossible. Some people like ales; others prefer lagers. Many opt for a pale colored, almost maltless, almost hop-less, low-calorie, low-alcohol, near-water-experience light beer. Some prefer a dark, full-bodied Bavarian bock. Or maybe an Irish stout. Or a knock-your-socks-off, scrape-it-off-your-tongue, hoppy West Coast pale ale, This is personal preference time. Enjoy.

Something beer and barbecue-related did come to my attention recently, however, and I couldn't resist looking into it further. A press release passed across my desk about a new beer-based BBQ sauce. I was hooked. I had to find every beer barbecue sauce on the market. There aren't many out there, but I did discover a plethora of whiskey-based BBQ sauces. The King of BBQ sauces, Ardie Davis, a.k.a. Remus Powers, author of The Great BBQ Sauce Book (Ten Speed Press, 1999, www.tenspeed.com), tells me that I discovered a few sauces that even he didn't know about. That's high praise, indeed. Here's my list. I believe a mid-winter tasting panel is in order.

REDHOOK BREWERY

1) Tom Douglas' Redhook Spicy Blonde Ale BBQ Sauce with Jalepeno Mango

2) Tom Douglas' Blackhook Porter BBQ Sauce with Poblano Chilies & Molasses

3) Tom Douglas' Redhook ESB Amber Ale BBQ Sauce with Smoked Chilies & Honey www.redhook.com

HEINZ/JACK DANIEL'S

1) Original No.7 BBQ Recipe

2) Sizzling Smokehouse Blend

3) TN Hickory Mesquite

www.heinz.com

BOURBON COUNTRY PRODUCTS/SOUTHERN DREAM FOODS

Evan Williams KY Bourbon BBQ Sauce Maker's Mark Bourbon Flavored Gourmet Sauce

Austin Nichols Wild Turkey Real KY BBO Sauce 800-264-5016

PORKY'S FOODS

Historic Lynchburg TN Whiskey BBQ Sauce

1) Sweet & Mild,

2) Hot & Spicy,

3) Extra Hot

www.porkysgourmet.com

OAK HILL FARMS

Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Sauce

Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon Marinade

Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon Wing Sauce

Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon Steak Sauce

Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon Hot Sauce

www.oakhillfarms.com

FLORIDA GOURMET FOODS/ISLAND GROVE

Buffalo Whiz Primo Beer BBQ Sauce Whiskey Basin Whiskey Flavored BBO Sauce Redneck Whiskey Wing Sauce & Chicken Depilatory

www.islandgrove.com

HARRISON NAPA VALLEY

Kirk & Glotzer NY Deli Beer BBQ Sauce

www.harrisonnappavalley.com

STICKY FINGERS

Sticky Fingers TN Whiskey 880 Sauce www.stickyfingers.net

COLONY SOUTH

1) Southern Comfort Golden 680 Sauce

2) Southern Comfort Classic BBQ Sauce

3) Southern Comfort Peach Liquor Marinade

4) Bubba Back Bay Bourbon Peach Marinade

www.colonysouth.com

If you'd like to attend the Mecca of BBQ sauce tasting, each year Ardie Davis puts on die American Royal International BBQ Sauce Contest in Kansas City, MO. This year's event takes place in October (www.americanroyal.com).