Drinks for a BBQ

In Norway, barbecue may involve so many different things: glazed spareribs, red wine marinated pork collar, corn, potato salad, etc. With so many contrasting tastes on the plate, it is a challenge to find a drink that suits them all. You will find here some tips to get your barbecue to the next level.

Barbecues are always very tasty. Even the mildest meat gets a lot of flavours from the grill itself by forming a crust and adding smoky aromas. This means that the drink needs to be just as flavourful as the food in order for it to be enjoyed.

One of the biggest challenges in finding the correct drink for a barbeque are sweet BBQ sauces and sweet side dishes such as corn, sweet potatoes, grilled onion and fruits. All this sweetness has to be matched by the drink, if not, the drink will taste sour.

Another challenge is that barbecues are usually full of contrasts. Even powerful red meats are often served along with fresh and light side dishes like potato or cabbage salads, tzatziki and Greek salad. A common choice for the meat would be red wine, but a white or a rosé wine would be more suitable for the fresh side dishes.

It takes a lot to find the perfect drink that play well with all this contradictory elements of a barbecue. A simple thing to do is to decide which barbecue style you will go for and choose the drink in accordance with it. Will it be a Southern American barbecue with glaze, sweet BBQ-sauce, sweet potatoes and corn or will it have another type of sweet sides like grilled onion or fruit? Or will it perhaps be a much fresher and European styled barbecue with herbs or red wine marinade? And to conclude, will the food be served along with fresh and light side dishes, like potato or cabbage salads, or tzatziki and Greek salad?

Sweet barbecue and wine

A classic choice for an American styled barbecue, with sweet BBQ-sauce and glaze, would be a red Zinfandel from California. This wines usually have a subtle touch of sweetness and the appropriate taste and body intensity. Amarone and Ripasso have similar characteristics but may also offer some extra acidity that can battle the potential fat in the food. Other alternatives are Primitivo from Puglia, Malbec from Argentina and Shiraz from Barossa.

Sweet side dishes or sweet barbecue with light sides.

If you are having corn, sweet potatoes, grilled onion, pineapple or melon as accompaniments, a white wine will be a preferable choice. The same applies if you are serving light and fresh sides, like a cabbage salad, with a sweet styled barbecue. A semi-dry Chenin Blanc from Loire will offer rich taste and enough body and sweetness for these cases. An alternative could be a fancy Riesling with generous residual sugar. Furthermore, both options offer a good acidity that can match the freshness of the cabbage salad as well as the potential fat found in the dishes.

Non-sweet barbecue and wine

We can find more alternatives to choose from for barbecues lacking sweet elements. For well-done meat, it is recommended to choose a wine that doesn’t have very powerful tannins that would make our mouths dry. It could be one of the many aforementioned alternatives for sweet barbecues, as well as wines from Southern Rhône and Rioja.

For rare meat, and considering the side dishes, you can pick a wine with more tannins. Meat proteins will not be denatured by heat and can therefore handle the tannins. Ribera del Duero and Brunello di Montalcino are two rich and full-bodied alternatives.

Non-sweet barbecue and wine

For rare meat, and considering the side dishes, you can pick a wine with more tannins. Meat proteins will not be denatured by heat and can therefore handle the tannins. Ribera del Duero and Brunello di Montalcino are two rich and full-bodied alternatives.

Non-sweet barbecue with light accompaniments

Are you serving predominantly fresh and light side dishes like potato salad, tzatziki or Greek salad, or salads with vinaigrette and sour cream? Then go for a white or rosé wine. Among the white wines, aromatic and bodied alternatives like white Graves or Pessac-Leognan will play well. Rich and bodied Rieslings, like a Smaragd from Wachau, or a luscious Alsace would be nice picks as well. Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is suited for the lightest sides on the menu. Many of these wines have also good acidity to battle the potential fat in the food while matching the freshness found, for instance, in tzatziki, vinaigrettes and sour cream dressings. Among the rosé wines, Bandol and Tavel are the easy favourites, as they deliver more than enough body and taste intensity. Schilcher from Austria has certainly more freshness and pairs better with lighter and fresher bites. If you are determined to drink red wine, even with the fresher accompaniments, a low-priced Pinot Noir or Barbera will provide you with the appropriate freshness.

Barbecue and beer

Just as it happens with wine, it is important that the beer has sufficient body and character to harmonize with the food. It should also have powerful freshness and bitterness to counteract the fats in the food while matching the freshness of the side dishes.

For the sweet recipes, beer with sweetness from warm-fermentation and/or caramelized malts pairs perfectly in this role. Problem with darker beer styles is that they lack the freshness that fats in the food and fresh accompaniments demand. A slightly dark Indian Pale Ale is a good choice. Dubbel can deliver nice freshness as well, but less bitterness. A darker sour beer, like Oud Bruin, can also play well, but is usually lighter.

Tripel and lighter sour beer, like Gueuze, can be good options for the lightest side dishes. Gueuze offers, in particular, the perfect acidity for some side dishes, but it will not work so well if sweet flavours are included in the barbecue.