Beverages
Hot Stuff
Epic Smoked Bloody Marys For Your New Year’s Brunch
Many of you know Glenn Tiede, an active poster on Steven’s Facebook fan page,“Steven Raichlen’s Project Smoke & Primal Grill,” and an avid barbecuer from Central Illinois. But you may not know that Glenn is well known locally and beyond for his hand-crafted Bloody Marys. He makes them nearly every weekend and teases the rest of us with photographs of the cocktails. When Steven and I decided to put Bloody Marys on the editorial calendar, Glenn was our go-to guy. Thanks, Glenn! ...
Read more →The Art of the Long Drink
Photo by Stephen Lyford What could be better than barbecue? Barbecue with bourbon, of course. This week my fellow Workman Publishing author, Lew Bryson, writes a guest post on a new twist on the classic American long drink. Read it, try the recipe, then read his excellent book, Tasting Whiskey. And remember Davey Crockett’s immortal words about whiskey: “It makes a man warm in the winter, and cool in the summer.” Amen. –Steven “It’s not a sprint,...
Read more →It’s Better with Bourbon
We interrupt our normal barbecue programming to focus on a beverage that's indispensable to barbecue: bourbon. We add it to our sauces and marinades and spray it on ribs and pork shoulders. We certainly drink it at barbecues in the form of Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, Mint Juleps, Whiskey Smashes, and of course, straight up. Did you know September is National Bourbon Heritage Month? To celebrate we asked our colleague, Amy Stewart, author of one of our favorite new books, The...
Read more →Drinks for Summer: Agua de Sandia
Excerpted from One Good Dish by David Tanis (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2013. Photographs by Gentl & Hyers. Agua fresca is a traditional Mexican drink that can be made from ripe fruit, like pineapple or mango, or from hibiscus blossoms or even tamarind pods, to name just a few variations. At the market, it is typically sold ladled from giant glass jars. The concept translates perfectly to an outdoor barbecue setting. For guests who are refraining from beer...
Read more →Barbecue University™
Barbecue Flavor You Can Drink
How well equipped is your home bar? Jigger? Check. Shaker? Check. Hawthorne strainer? Check. Smoking gun? Huh? Yes, a handheld smoker is the latest weapon in a barman’s (not to mention barbecue fanatic’s) arsenal, and smoked cocktails are turning up at cutting edge bars from Brooklyn to San Francisco. According to master mixologist, Dale DeGroff (if you don’t own his book The Essential Cocktail, run—don’t walk—to your local bookstore), smoke adds a...
Read more →Barbecue University™
Cocktails for Smoke Lovers
By now, you know Raichlen’s rule: If a food tastes great baked, fried, or sautéed, it tastes even better grilled. Here’s the corollary: If a cocktail hits the spot shaken or stirred, it surely sips better smoked. Which brings us one of the hottest trends in American mixology these days: smoked cocktails. Smoke has been called the “umami of barbecue,” and it adds a character and complexity that can turn a cocktail you’ve drunk a thousand times into a drink...
Read more →Barbecue University™
7 Great Ways to Barbecue & Grill with Beer
A barbecue without beer is like, well, a pit without smoke or a grill without fire. And the beer’s not just for drinking – it’s a lifeblood of live-fire cooking. So, pop open a cold one, fire up your grill, and try one of these flame-tested techniques featuring brew. What are the possibilities? Let me count the ways: As a soaking medium for wood chips. Slows the combustion rate of the wood so it smolders and smokes, not burns. Gives you a hint of beer flavor in...
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