Secret Sauce: Why the Owner of America’s Best Barbecue Restaurant Uses Rye Whiskey as an Ingredient

James Beard Award-winning pitmaster, Aaron Franklin considers rye whiskey the ultimate secret ingredient for his barbecue sauce recipes. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

Aaron Franklin, the James Beard Award-winning pitmaster behind Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas is no stranger to using rye whiskey in his barbecue sauce. Typically barbecue sauces that use booze in the list of ingredients feature the use of bourbon instead of rye, but according to an interview with Tasting Table, Franklin prefers a whiskey that’s a little on the spicier side.

“I love rye. Rye’s a lot more peppery: it’s a lot less sweet because of its mashbill. Rye goes with the smoky grilled flavors a lot better. It has these pepper notes and vanilla notes depending on what kind you get.”

Franklin’s career in barbecue stemmed from humble beginnings. The pitmaster became interested in the world of barbecue after throwing backyard cookouts with his wife, Stacy. In 2009, the couple opened Franklin’s Barbecue, a small roadside barbecue trailer in Austin which became a cult phenomenon and attracted national attention, according to PBS.

Franklin’s Barbecue had more than its fair share of fans throughout the years, some of which included Jimmy Kimmel, the late Anthony Bourdain, and former President Barak Obama.

The pit master recently penned a cookbook entitled “Franklin Smoke.” The cookbook is a collaboration with award-winning writer, Jordan Mackay, that offers recipes for preparing a plethora of different rubs and sauces. One of the recipes features the addition of rye whiskey, a boozy “secret sauce” that adds a little oomph to Franklin’s popular barbecue sauce.

Franklin divulged his favorite rye whiskey to use is High West Double Rye. He refers to the core expression from the Park City-based distillery as his “standard around the house for normal drinking and cocktails.”

More About Rye Whiskey

Rye whiskeys have a mashbill that is composed of at least 51% rye grain.

These bold, robust spirits are known for having a mixed flavor profile with an equal amount of sweetness and spice. Though rye is typically lauded for its spicy, herbaceous profile, some rye whiskeys can be incredibly drinkable.

In March, we compiled a list of some of the smoothest rye whiskies, which can be accessed here.

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