Nearly 60% Agree This Alcoholic Drink Goes The Best With Grilled Food

It's the Fourth of July. You have a cold, patriotic-colored Smirnoff Ice Red, White & Berry in your sweating fist. At a chilly Fall tailgate, you might be sporting a pumpkin stout or even a mug of hot mulled wine. A barbecue in the park calls for a playful mason jar of sangria. 

Whether you're a propane or gas kind of griller, one thing is for sure: grill season happens all year round. In fact, the U.S. barbecue grill market has an estimated worth of a whopping $2.88 million in 2022, according to data analytics platform Statista. And where there's a cookout, there's usually a boozy bevvy someplace nearby. Thirsty yet? We are. That's why Tasting Table asked 626 grillmasters and grilled food eaters about their sipping preferences to find out once and for all which alcoholic drink goes the best with grilled food. The results confirm what you probably already think the top choice may be.

First up is the spirit fit for a Pete Seeger show: "Rye whiskey, rye whiskey, rye whiskey!" A total of 8.15% of voters cry these words for their backyard barbecue. Its sister spirit, bourbon, came in next with 8.95%. It looks like bourbon might be more popular for smoking meats than for sipping as a barbecue aperitif. 26.36% of voters want to make like Eric Burdon and spill the wine (take that pearl) with their grilled food. (We recommend pairing a red with your filet mignon.)

You may have already figured it out and if you're like 56.55% of Tasting Table voters, there's a good chance you love it, too. The number one most popular alcoholic drink to pair with grilled food is none other than beer. Cracking open a cold one outside as charcoal smoke burns your nostrils while you're smacking away flames with a dish towel is about as "grilling" as it gets. So, whether you're serving as grillmaster, barbecue firefighter, or relaxing with a hot dog or two (or five), beer is the go-to alcoholic drink for sippers this grilling season.