The Best Drams to Drink Around a BBQ Without Wasting Good Whiskey
Why Whiskey and BBQ Were Made for Each Other
There's a certain logic to pairing whiskey with barbecue that goes beyond casual tradition — smoke, char, caramelized fat, and wood-forward flavors create a sensory landscape that whiskey was practically built to complement. The challenge, though, is knowing which bottles deserve a place at the pit and which ones are better saved for quieter moments. Pouring a rare single barrel or a meticulously aged expression into a sweating plastic cup next to a smoker isn't doing anyone any favors. The goal is finding whiskeys that are genuinely enjoyable, food-friendly, and sturdy enough to hold their own against bold, smoky flavors without requiring your full concentration. Whether you're working with sweet and tangy pulled pork, fatty brisket, or charred ribs with a pepper-heavy rub, the right whiskey can elevate the whole experience rather than compete with it.
Wild Turkey 101: The Backyard Bourbon Standard
Wild Turkey 101 is the flagship of the Lawrenceburg, Kentucky distillery overseen by Jimmy Russell, the longest-tenured active master distiller in the world, and it has earned its place as the benchmark against which value bourbons are measured. It's bottled at 101 proof and distilled at a low entry proof, meaning it comes out of the barrel already close to what it was at its best — deep, characterful, and with a genuine heft that cheaper bourbons fake. The nose delivers baking spice, toasted oak, and a touch of orange zest; the palate runs through caramel, vanilla, rye spice, and charred oak. Around a BBQ, that rye-forward spice punches through smoky, fatty meats brilliantly, and pitmaster Leonard Botello IV of Truth BBQ openly calls it one of the bottles he keeps on hand specifically for pairing with barbecue. Buy it now!
Elijah Craig Small Batch: Heaven Hill's Workhorse Dram
Named after the Baptist minister credited with first aging whiskey in charred oak barrels, Elijah Craig Small Batch is produced at Heaven Hill's Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, using a mashbill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley, aged in char #3 new American oak. At 94 proof and around $30, it consistently wins double-gold medals and has been named 'Best Bourbon' in competition. Tasting notes run through vanilla, orange zest, toffee, caramel, and a dash of mint, with a rich, slightly nutty mouthfeel that doesn't punch too hard at the proof. The balance between sweet corn sweetness and just enough rye spice makes it a natural alongside pulled pork or chicken — soft enough not to compete with the meat, but complex enough to reward attention between bites. Buy it now!
Balcones Brimstone: Texas's Smokiest BBQ Companion
Balcones is a craft distillery from Waco, Texas, founded in 2008, and Brimstone is their most audacious creation — a corn whisky made from 100% Hopi blue corn sourced from New Mexico, with the distilled spirit smoked directly using sun-baked Texas scrub oak in a secret proprietary process. In 2012, Whisky Magazine named Balcones American Craft Distillery of the Year specifically for this technique of infusing smoke into the spirit post-distillation, rather than smoking the grain beforehand. The result is immediately, almost comically on-theme for a BBQ: reviewers describe the nose as 'powerfully evocative of barbecue plate lunch,' with salty roasted meat, elote, sweet spice, and an intense smoky aroma, while the palate brings roasted corn, French roast coffee, cocoa, and heavy steak rub. Whisky Advocate scored it 88 points; the finish is described as extraordinarily long and persistent — 'the kind of whisky you can almost taste the next day.' Buy it now!
Maker's Mark: The Wheated Bourbon for Lighter BBQ
Maker's Mark from Loretto, Kentucky, uses wheat instead of rye as its secondary grain, producing a softer, rounder bourbon that whiskey author Fred Minnick has described as one he drinks specifically with BBQ. The wheated mashbill delivers a prominent caramel sweetness that doesn't overpower the flavours of lighter smoked meats, and the mellow balance makes it one of the most food-friendly pours at the table. At 90 proof and around $25–30, it sits in the sweet spot of price and approachability, delivering vanilla, caramel, and gentle baking spices without the rye-forward bite that can compete with delicate pork or chicken. Whisky Advocate rates it as a great pairing specifically for lighter barbecue dishes, particularly on a hot summer day when a full-throated high-rye bourbon might feel like too much. Buy it now!
Woodford Reserve: The Brisket Pairing Standard-Bearer
Woodford Reserve is produced at the historic Labrot & Graham distillery in Versailles, Kentucky, and stands out for its triple copper-pot distillation — an unusual process for American bourbon that contributes to its notably complex flavour profile of over 200 detectable flavour notes. The nose is rich with dried fruit, orange, and a hint of mint dusted with cocoa; the palate delivers bold wood, sweet aromatics, and fruit in a deeply layered, well-integrated package. At around $35, it represents genuine value for a bourbon of this character, and BBQ Champs Academy identifies it as pairing exceptionally well with beef brisket specifically — the sweetness complementing the rendered fat and smoky bark. Its complexity means there's always something new to find in the glass as the afternoon wears on and the smoke settles. Buy it now!
Colkegan Single Malt: Santa Fe's Mesquite-Smoked Maverick
Santa Fe Spirits is an independent craft distillery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Colkegan is their flagship single malt — one of the few American whiskeys that uses mesquite-smoked malt and ages in full-size barrels to add genuine structure and depth alongside the smoke. Whisky Advocate gave it 87 points, noting good complexity and describing notes of dry orange zest, white chocolate, and 'barbecue potato chips,' which is as direct a BBQ pairing endorsement as a tasting note can deliver. Mesquite is the smoking wood of Southwestern BBQ culture, making this a genuinely regional expression of the whiskey-meets-fire tradition — the smoke in the glass echoes the smoke on the grill in the most direct way possible. It sits around $55, placing it in the considered-purchase bracket, but as a craft, independently produced American single malt it earns its price with character and terroir you won't find in any Kentucky distillery. Buy it now!
Larceny Small Batch: The Wheated Bourbon for Pulled Pork
Larceny Small Batch is another Heaven Hill wheated bourbon, and its butterscotch-forward, honey-rich character makes it one of the most naturally calibrated pours for pulled pork of anything on this list. Wheated bourbons — where wheat replaces rye in the grain bill — deliver honey and vanilla without the spice kick of high-rye mashbills, and pulled pork's gentle smoke and natural sweetness need exactly that softness. Tasting notes centre on butterscotch, honey, caramel, and a soft, creamy sweetness that wraps around the meat's own sugars rather than competing with them. At around $28–30 for the standard Small Batch release, it's priced for generous pours without the guilt, and its easy-drinking nature means guests who aren't whiskey obsessives can pick it up without intimidation. Buy it now!
Westland American Single Malt: Seattle Craft's Hearty Food Pairing
Westland Distillery was founded in 2010 in the SoDo district of Seattle, Washington, and is one of the defining voices in the American Single Malt category — a designation that only received its own legal definition in March 2025. Their flagship single malt uses a grain bill of six different specialist malted barleys, including Washington Select Pale Malt, Munich Malt, and Brown Malt, aged in a combination of new American oak, ex-bourbon, and ex-Oloroso sherry casks for a minimum of three years. The nose offers maple syrup, green apple, and milk chocolate; the palate is notably creamy, with vanilla custard, acacia honey, milk chocolate, sultana, and a peppery heat on the finish. The Whiskey Wash describes it as a whiskey that 'plays so well with food,' and its sweet malt character with savoury, toasty undertones makes it an exceptional match for grilled steak or smoked lamb — something with enough fat and char to meet its depth. Buy it now!
Booker's Bourbon: The Barrel-Proof Option for Burnt Ends
Booker's is Jim Beam's uncut, unfiltered, cask-strength bourbon, bottled directly from the barrel at between 120 and 130 proof — a release that master distiller Booker Noe originally created for his own personal enjoyment before it went commercial. Whisky Advocate has awarded it 91 points, and it is specifically called out by experts as the whiskey to reach for alongside the most intense bites at a BBQ — particularly burnt ends, the twice-smoked, caramelised cubes of brisket point that need the biggest, most flavour-dense pour in the room. Notes of peanut brittle, oak char, dark caramel, and a big honey-vanilla backbone give it enough flavour density to stay in the conversation next to a barked brisket. It typically runs around $60–70, and while it's not a casual pour, it's precisely the kind of bottle that turns a backyard cookout into something worth remembering. Buy it now!
High Wire Distilling: Charleston's Heritage Grain BBQ Dram
High Wire Distilling Company, founded by husband and wife Scott Blackwell and Ann Marshall, is Charleston, South Carolina's first distillery since Prohibition, producing small-batch spirits with a genuine commitment to heritage grain sourcing — a reflection of Blackwell's background as a baker. Their New Southern Revival Bourbon leans into nutty, sweet, and approachable tasting notes: hazelnuts, marzipan, caramel, and a finish of toasted marshmallow and graham cracker that makes it one of the most unusually food-friendly pours in the craft space. The soft, mellow sweetness and lack of aggressive burn make it a brilliant companion for BBQ chicken or smoked sausage — proteins that can be overwhelmed by high-proof rye-forward bourbons. As a craft, independently produced Southern whiskey from a region with deep BBQ roots, it brings a sense of regional authenticity to the table that Kentucky-focused bottles simply can't replicate. Buy it now!
Old Grand-Dad Bonded: The High-Rye Budget Warrior
Old Grand-Dad Bonded is bottled-in-bond at 100 proof under the Jim Beam umbrella, meaning it must be the product of a single distillery, a single distilling season, and aged for at least four years — genuine quality assurances at a price point that consistently hovers around $25. Its mashbill is unusually low in corn at just 63%, with a high proportion of rye and malted barley that creates a spicy, vibrant bourbon ideal for bold BBQ flavours. Gear Patrol, citing bourbon authority Fred Minnick, notes that despite nearly being axed in 2017, the brand has developed a cult following precisely because it offers more spicy firepower per dollar than almost anything else on the shelf. The palate delivers vibrant rye spice, citrus, caramel, and toasted grain — a high-rye punch that cuts through fatty meats and sweet sauces with equal ease. Buy it now!
Bardstown Fusion Series: The Pitmaster's Pick from Kentucky
Bardstown Bourbon Company, based in Bardstown, Kentucky, operates one of the most technically sophisticated distilleries in the country and its Fusion Series blends their own young distillate with sourced, aged whiskey from established Kentucky distilleries — a production method that accelerates character and complexity. The Fusion No. 5 was cited by pitmaster Brad Prose of Chiles and Smoke as his BBQ bourbon of choice, specifically for its 'sweet cream and toasty caramel flavours' that pair with pork's natural sweetness, with a finish that has a hint of bitter citrus and a warming heat. Prose recommends it alongside dry-rubbed spareribs where the bourbon's heat can balance the seasoning, or smoked pulled pork finished with a mustard sauce where the Fusion's sweetness plays counterpoint to the tang. For a craft distillery product at a mid-range price point, the Fusion Series punches well above its weight in complexity and food versatility. Buy it now!
Russell's Reserve 10 Year: The Session Sipper That Earns Its Place
Russell's Reserve 10 Year is the premium sub-brand under Wild Turkey, bearing the name of legendary master distiller Jimmy Russell and his son Eddie, and it delivers a level of aged maturity that is, as Bourbon Culture notes, 'almost unheard of for under $35 today.' A full decade in the barrel brings seasoned oak, baking spices, caramel, and vanilla to a slightly dry, refined finish that the standard 101 simply can't match for polish. At 90 proof, it's softer and more sessionable than Booker's or the high-proof cask-strength crowd — the kind of bottle you can pour generously for three hours while the brisket smokes without anyone going sideways. It consistently outperforms its price point in blind tastings and represents exactly the sort of whiskey this list is built around: good enough to pour with intention, affordable enough that you won't be precious about it when the ice melts. Buy it now!
More Galleries