House of Whisky & Bourbon
“Drink gives food additional flavour notes. Rich, fatty and spicy BBQ and then a sip of bourbon to intensify the taste. I don’t think people fully grasp how what they drink can affect the overall culinary experience.”
So said American pitmaster Rasheed Philips, as we shared a drink amid the firepits of Meatopia. And then, right on cue, or Q, House of Whisky & Bourbon opened its doors and its pages.
The latest book by Andy Clarke (below), abundant of spirits and one of the most exciting voices and colourful characters in the food and drink world, follows hot on the heels of Home Bar and House of Gin from the king of cocktails, who helps you ‘shake, muddle and stir’.
The saloon doors on his latest book cover just shout whisky and bourbon. You could make a case for most drinks to pair with BBQ food in its infinite variety, but whisky and bourbon is served with its own drawl – fire and smoke in a glass.
You’d doubtless find Beth Dutton of Yellowstone infamy propped up at the bar. If bourbon was a woman, it would be Beth. Forget the vodka and three olives she regularly downs in the epic modern Western TV series. I am reliably informed that Kelly Reilly, who plays Beth, is a bourbon drinker. Actually, it may have been Yellowstone chef Gator, featured in the Spring issue of BBQ magazine, who reliably informed me.
“The rich, dark aromas and flavours of whisky and bourbon are great drinks pairings for your favourite barbecue food. The smooth oak-aged charm of a good whisky invites you in when you sniff and sip,” says Andy Clarke.
“The sweet hints of caramel, accompanied by charred savoury notes match flame-grilled food wonderfully – whether neat or in the right cocktail. Some whiskies and bourbons have tropical notes of caramelised banana and charred peach, which are great with barbecued desserts too.”
Clarke does not just rustle up imaginative cocktails – don’t forget the ice – each with a story to tell, but dips into history too – the malt and the blended, the grain and the rye, whisky or whiskey, and the charred oak barrels of American bourbon.
Time to brave it and mix Beth a cocktail. Just don’t tell Rip.
Rupert Bates
From over 40 featured in the book, Andy Clarke has chosen three cocktail favourites for BBQ magazine readers to drink around the fire.
Bulletproof
“There’s something for everyone here. If you’re a beer or lager drinker while you fan the flames, give this a whirl. The fruity addition of peach puree and both whisky and bourbon, will make you a bulletproof pitmaster. The fruit flavours of the cocktail will accompany flame-licked food both savoury and sweet.”
Tennessee whiskey, Kentucky bourbon, white peach puree and beer.
Golden Hour
“The smoked syrup makes this cocktail a fabulous addition to an evening barbecue. It’s the delicious flames of the grill in liquid form. The rich and heady mix of rye whisky and brandy is a sure way to relax you into the evening. If you are smoking meat, fish or vegetables under the hood, this cocktail is for you.”
Rye whiskey, cherry brandy liqueur, hot smoked syrup, lemon juice, egg white, chocolate bitters.
Firefly
“Orange brandy and whisky together is the perfect accompaniment to meat cooked on grilling planks. The smoked syrup and the fruity notes allow your tastebuds to delve into your barbecue meats perfectly.”
Single malt whisky. Orange brandy. Hot smoked syrup. Lemon juice. Orange bitters.
House of Whisky & Bourbon – Over 40 Cocktails to Shake, Muddle and Stir at Home. By Andy Clarke.
Published by Quadrille.
Illustrations: Evi-O.Studio.
