The Cocktails You Should Make For Your Next Cookout

A good cookout, one where your guests leave full and happy and maybe a little buzzed, requires a lot of work. There's the pressure of setting up the right smoker, picking the right meat, the best sides, and finding the perfect cocktail to pair with it all. Sure, some guests might just opt for a bottle of beer and grab a seat in an Adirondack chair, but you can never go wrong with offering a cocktail or two. It's time to step up those backyard cookouts with more than just a cooler of beer and a bottle of wine. Offering a few, simple cocktails to pair with whatever you've got on the grill can truly enhance the entire experience. Cody Goldstein, founder of Muddling Memories and mixologist, couldn't agree more.

"Cocktails and meats pair nicely together," the New York City-based bartender said. "More citrus-based cocktails such as gimlets, margaritas, and sours go very well with grilled fish. Bourbon cocktails and smoked meats pair perfectly together as the whiskey is stored in charred oak barrels."

If you're whipping up a killer grilled salmon with the skin on for the cookout, cocktail expert Cody Goldstein recommends going with citrusy cocktails to create a match made in heaven. The sweet and acidic flavors of these citrus cocktails balance the brine of the seafood. That's why you'll see fine dining establishments serving their salmon with a slice of orange or their shrimp doused in lime juice — acidity makes the seafood shine. When prepping your cocktails for a seafood cookout, try a homemade margarita, a smoky sidecar, or even a gimlet. The lime in both the margarita and the gimlet, along with the orange and lemon in the sidecar, are perfect uses of citrus to enhance the flavors of your fish.

If you're smoking meats, assembling some truly groundbreaking brisket or pull-apart ribs, Goldstein recommends pairing them with smokier cocktails that include bourbon or whiskey. While you could simply serve a glass of whiskey on ice, elevating the experience can be as easy as pairing your ribs with a classic Old Fashioned or maybe a Gold Rush, two drinks that include a base of bourbon. The bold, smoky flavors from the grilled meats compliment the sweet, woodsy taste of the cocktails. Whether you go for a refreshing margarita with your mahi-mahi or a delicious Black Manhattan with your pulled pork, certified cocktail artist Cody Goldstein has your back to help you uncover any and all of those complementary cocktail combinations.