What kind of beer goes best with BBQ ribs? Which wine with BBQ chicken? Red? White? What?!? I took a look at that for you, and it turns out, for BBQ ribs a darker, maltier beer is ideal, porters, brown ales and even dark lagers. Those are the best choice for a loaded backyard burger as well. What about that guest who “only drinks wine,” well you don’t want them whining, so a cab or Shiraz is a good option, and even one of my faves, a red zinfandel. BBQ chicken? Light to medium bodied reds or a full bodied white like a Chardonnay. As for the kind of beer for BBQ chicken? it's the same as with the ribs, nuttier malty brews are the trick to that as well. Wine and hot dogs? I wasn't sure I'd find recommendations on this, but I did! Rose, Reilsings and white blends to the trick. Beer? turns out, white ales, wheat beers (duh), and hefeweizen are the top choices that experts say pairs the best.

As for cocktails, for ribs, I'm a big fan of whiskey and bourbon based drinks with anything that has a traditional BBQ sauce, you can even take it a step further and go with smoked cocktails. Lemonade is recommended for hot dogs, so whip up a pitcher of lemonade spiked with vodka and splash of triple sec, or make a flavored lemonade with your preference of fresh fruit, for example, mash in strawberries, and use strawberry vodka.