Memorial Day Weekend is almost upon us, and many will celebrate the official start of summer with a lively outdoor barbecue. But as temperatures rise (particularly in the warmer areas of the United States), taking charge of the grill during an al fresco summer party is no small feat, and the grill maestro must be rewarded with refreshing beverages. At the same time, grilled and smoked dishes should be paired with drinks that highlight their savory, charred, and juicy characteristics, so cookout beers need to be more than just thirst-quenching.
The time has come to build your seasonal roster of excellent beers for picnics, barbecues, and other summertime gatherings, and to find out exactly which brews match up best with ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and other BBQ favorites, we turned to a group of 14 pit chefs located from coast to coast. The chefs we consulted generally leaned toward crisp and bright beers — you’ll see a lot of pilsners, kolsches, and light lagers here — but they offered plenty of interesting twists and variations to suit all tastes.
The beers to bring to a BBQ, according to pitmasters:
- Miller High Life
- Lone Star American-Style Lager Beer
- Pabst Blue Ribbon
- Duchesse de Bourgogne Flemish Red Ale
- Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
- Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen
- Trumer Pilsner
- St. Elmo Carl Kolsch
- Saint Arnold Summer Pils
- Cabin Boys Brewery Cast-A-Line Kolsch
- Three Taverns Ukiyo Lager
- Fort Point Brewing KSA Kölsch
- Historic Brewing Company Oceanfront Property Lager
Don’t Miss A Drop
Get the latest in beer, wine, and cocktail culture sent straight to your inbox.
“For a girl who is a chef/pitmaster and loves a great bottle of bubbles, my go-to beer for a BBQ cookout is the ‘Champagne of Beers,’ Miller High Life. High Life is known for its effervescence, crisp light flavors, and subtle sweetness. These attributes make High Life a perfect pairing for BBQ because it has the ability to cut through the richness that smoked/grilled goodies give. BBQ and bubbles are life! Fun fact: I grew to love Miller High Life even more after participating on ‘Top Chef: Season 21,’ which filmed in the hometown of Miller High Life [Milwaukee, Wis.]. I got a chance to cook at the Miller Caves, and it was an amazing experience that helped grow my love for High Life.” —Michelle Wallace, “Top Chef” alum, former executive chef of Gatlin’s BBQ and chef/owner/“pop-up queen” owner of B’tween Sandwich Co., Houston
“Lone Star Original American-Style Lager Beer is the only beer for Texas barbecue. The crisp and refreshing taste pairs perfectly with smoked brisket, peppery pork ribs, or snappy jalapeño sausage. Lone Star is just as important to Texas barbecue as post oak wood and black pepper.” —Evan LeRoy, chef and co-owner of LeRoy & Lewis Barbecue, Austin, Texas
“As a beer pairing for all kinds of barbecue, I like a nice cold PBR! It is so good, crisp, and clean. This beer also goes great with all types of BBQ [meats], and PBR is a good chaser for bourbon, too.” —Melvin “Boots” Johnson, chef/owner of Harlem Biscuit Company and Boots and Bones BBQ, NYC and St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
“I’m based in central Oregon, [so I get] to experiment with many local, craft beers. But my go-to summer BBQ beer is Duchesse de Bourgogne from Belgium. This barrel-aged sour is bouche, unexpected and, best of all, it tastes like Cherry Coke. I love how well sour beers cut through the fat of smoked pork and sweeter BBQs. And bringing a bold, sour, barrel-aged beer to a BBQ is a solid chef flex.” —Josh Hedrick, executive chef of Sunriver Resort where he oversees the resort’s Memorial Day Backyard BBQ pig roast, Sunriver, Ore.
“Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier is an over-the-top Hefeweizen with a ton of flavor. The banana notes really pop through. It’s full of body and has a nice, smooth finish, especially after a vinegary bite barbecue, and it also pairs exceptionally well with sausages.” —Nick Kleutsch, pit chef at Sanders BBQ Supply Co., Chicago
“Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen from Bamberg, Germany is not subtle. This pairing screams, ‘What beer would you never think to eat with grilled food?’ and someone replies, ‘Hold my Schlenkerla (beer).’ But once you throw some smoked sausages on the grill, it all makes sense. Pairing smoked beer with smoked meat feels redundant until you try it and realize it’s basically harmony in a stein.” —Jason Halverson, executive chef of Hi Neighbor Hospitality, Bay Area
“For myself, Trumer Pilsner is my go-to beer for any outdoor cooking and barbecue. It’s a great beer for both the cook and the guests. Extremely drinkable, clocking in just under 5 percent ABV, I always like to have some in the cooler. Bright, floral, bready, and with just enough bitterness, Trumer drinks well with everything from yakitori to smoked brisket.” —Nick Priedite, BBQ chef/owner of Priedite BBQ, Los Alamos, Calif.
“I love St. Elmo Carl Kolsch from Austin for summer BBQs because it is crisp, refreshing, and not overly hoppy. When you serve it so cold that it’ll make your hand cramp, it’s the best way to battle the Texas summer heat.” —Justin Spencer, pit chef of Junebug’s BBQ, Fredericksburg, Texas
“When I’m firing up the pit for a summer BBQ, I like to have a Saint Arnold Summer Pils close by. It’s crisp, light, and just hoppy enough to stand up to smoky grilled meats without getting in the way. Built for Texas heat and good times.” —Levi Goode, chef/owner of Goode Company restaurants, Houston
“I love Cast-A-Line Kolsch from Cabin Boys Brewery here in Tulsa. Besides the fact that I’m pretty much the best bass fishing chef in Oklahoma, this beer is crisp and crushable. The flavors of citrus and lemongrass lend a hand at cutting through a bunch of smoked or grilled fatty meats. Perfect for these hot and humid dog days of summer that we get here.” —Ben Alexander, chef and VP of Culinary Operations of McNellie’s Group, Tulsa, Okla.
“For me, there is no better complement to a backyard BBQ menu than Three Taverns’ Ukiyo Lager. It is extremely refreshing, and its light green tea notes add a bit of crisp freshness that pairs well with smoked and grilled meats and BBQ [with] Asian flavors.” —Howard Hsu, chef/co-owner of Sweet Auburn BBQ, Decatur, Ga.
“One of my go-to picks for a summer BBQ is Fort Point Brewing’s KSA Kölsch. It’s light, crisp, and easy to drink, with just enough malt backbone to stand up to grilled and smoked meats without overpowering them. It’s a crowd-pleaser that pairs especially well with fatty cuts like brisket or pulled pork, and it’s widely available around the Bay Area.” —Andrew Ghetia, farmer’s market chef and “chief pig cooker” at 4505 Burgers & BBQ, San Francisco
“Oceanfront Property Lager by Historic Brewing Company is a crisp refresher! The lager’s crisp, clean taste provides a refreshing contrast to the smoky and savory flavors of barbecue. This helps cleanse the palate between bites. Lagers typically have a mild flavor profile that won’t overpower the spices and sauces commonly found in barbecue dishes. This makes it a versatile choice that complements rather than competes with the food. The carbonation in lager can enhance the overall experience by adding a lively texture that pairs with the richness of smoked meats. [Lagers are] low in bitterness compared to other beer styles, making them more approachable for a wider audience. The herbal and citrus notes [of Oceanfront Property Lager] can also enhance the flavors of barbecue, especially those with a vinegar or citrus base.” —Rochelle Daniel, finalist on “Chopped: Grill Masters” and chef/owner of Atria, Flagstaff, Ariz.
*Image retrieved from Dusan Petkovic via stock.adobe.com
