The BBQ Barrel (Bourbon) - (21+)

The BBQ Barrel

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By the Fire

Not every drink has to tell a long story. Sometimes you just need a pour that fits the moment — easy, familiar, refreshing. Bourbon, cola, lime. Simple. But put that lime on the grill first, and suddenly you’ve taken a backyard staple and given it a signature.

That little touch of char on the wedge makes the aroma match the pit. It’s a reminder that simple doesn’t mean plain — it means you know what works.

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Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon

• Cola, to top

• Grilled lime wedge, for garnish

• Ice

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PitMaster’s Way

Step 1 — Build it Simple

Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in bourbon, top with cola.

Step 2 — Garnish with Fire

Squeeze a grilled lime wedge over the glass, then drop it in. That char is what ties it back to the coals.

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Hosting Notes

✦ For flair: Serve in a frosty pint glass or mason jar — casual and right at home.

✦ For garnish: Rim the glass with coarse salt and sugar for a sweet-sour edge.

✦ For elevation: Swap cola for a craft root beer to surprise the palate.

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Pitmaster’s Pour

Want to take it just one notch higher without complicating things? Make a quick smoked cola syrup. Reduce a bottle of cola down to syrup, set it in the smoker for 20 minutes, then stir that into your bourbon before topping with fresh cola. It deepens the sweetness with a whisper of smoke — same drink, but with a wink.

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From the Porch

This pour fits the easy days — hot sun, coolers full, burgers sizzling, and friends leaning against the fence with paper plates balanced in one hand. Bourbon and cola clink together in tall glasses, grilled limes squeezed in with a laugh. It’s casual, unpolished, the drink you don’t overthink because the moment itself is doing the heavy lifting: food hot off the grill, neighbors close by, and nothing on the agenda but enjoying it.

 

These recipes are intended for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the United States; please follow the laws in your region). Fire up the grill, not the driver’s seat. Stoking the Coals encourages moderation, community, and safe enjoyment of food and drink. Please never drink and drive, and always respect your health, your guests, and the law.