The Best Type Of Beer To Make Barbecue Sauce With

If you think about it, a good drink and a good barbecue sauce have a lot of similarities. They both involve an understanding of proportions and a flair for fun combinations –- whether that's a twist on a classic or something fresh and new. So when The Takeout spoke to Cody Goldstein, one-half of the husband and wife team behind the celebrated cocktail company Muddling Memories, we didn't ask about cocktails — we asked about barbecue.

Goldstein is known for his innovative drinks and his professional catering events for some of the world's top brands, but he's also a barbecue lover. And he's a fan of mixing booze and barbecue, as well. When asked about his thoughts on beer as a barbecue sauce ingredient, he enthusiastically supported the idea.

"Beer makes a great barbecue sauce ingredient," says Goldstein. "I think that stouts and ales work the best in sauces with their rich, dark body and coffee notes." So next time you're experimenting with a new recipe, try slipping a little Guinness into the sauce; though the question remains of what the best beer to cook with is.

There are hundreds of styles of barbecue sauce and no beer will be one-size-fits-all. Darker beers work well with thick, rich sauces that go heavy on ingredients like ketchup and molasses. However, barbecue sauce comes in many forms and flavors. The same beer that works magic in a heavier sauce could clash with a lighter, brighter one. While beer isn't necessarily a traditional part of tart, vinegar-based Carolina-style sauces, pick a beer that complements spicy flavors.

If you're serving a crowd, let guests know that there's beer in the sauce. Since it's not necessarily a standard ingredient, kids or people who want to avoid alcohol could get caught unaware. Some barbecue ingredients are toxic to pets, too, so keep an extra eye out to make sure Fido doesn't run off with the brisket. Play it safe even if you assume you've cooked the alcohol out. It takes a long time for alcohol to evaporate completely.