Barbecue Sauce Could Be Your Next Favorite Cocktail Ingredient. Here's 3 Shockingly Delicious Ideas

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Barbecue sauce is slathered on wings and burgers and squeezed into chili and beef stew, but a dash of it is perfect for cocktails, too. It may seem odd to add a condiment to cocktails, but Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce are quintessential parts of a Bloody Mary, so barbecue sauce can easily flavor drinks as well. We turned to an expert to learn the best ways to incorporate barbecue sauce into cocktails.

As a liquid chef, Billie Keithley of Breckenridge Distillery does more than your run-of-the-mill bartending. Creativity is an essential part of every mixologist's role, but Keithley takes things to the next step by transforming unconventional edible items into drinks. For barbecue sauce, she often takes the deconstructed route. "My approach is using ingredients that make the barbecue sauce and incorporating [them] into a cocktail," she explained. "Or, using your favorite BBQ sauce, adding water and a little sugar for a simple syrup." Barbecue sauce consists of brown sugar or molasses, ketchup, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce, all ingredients that can easily find themselves in a mixed drink.

A Bloody Mary would be a good place to start since it's made of tomato juice and Worcestershire sauce. Mixing in some brown sugar simple syrup adds depth to the drink, while a splash of apple cider vinegar keeps things sweet and tangy. Keithley also suggests using your favorite store-bought barbecue sauce to whip up a simple syrup. Simmer the condiment and some sugar with water, and let it thicken and cool before adding it to a pineapple or jalapeno margarita.

A barbecue sauce-infused drink certainly isn't traditional, but Keithley thinks the condiment tastes incredible with a host of classic cocktails, particularly Old Fashioneds. The whiskey-based drink has a heady, spicy flavor that gets a subtle kick from barbecue sauce. If you don't want to add the condiment straight into your smooth Old Fashioned, Keithley has other options. "There's amazing barbecue bitters out there, too," she suggests. Rather than using Angostura bitters, something like The Bitter End's Memphis Barbecue Bitters can impart a smoky, peppery flavor into the drink.

Keithley also suggests giving sours a barbecue-infused upgrade, and a pickle juice whiskey sour is the perfect drink with which to start. The cocktail is crafted with a pickle juice simple syrup that can easily incorporate a dollop of ketchup or barbecue sauce. Swap out the white granulated sugar for brown sugar, and substitute part of the lemon juice with white wine or apple cider vinegar.

Bright, tropical tiki cocktails are another drink category Keithley thinks works well with barbecue sauce. The condiment can often be found alongside mango or pineapple on grilled chicken, making it perfect for a sunny-tasting cocktail. To incorporate it into a citrusy Mai Tai, make a syrup from a fruit-forward version of the condiment, like Conchita's Guava BBQ Sauce. Guava's juicy, tart flavor meshes well with the orange elements in a Mai Tai, ensuring that the barbecue sauce doesn't overpower the drink.