Cherry Cola Whiskey BBQ Sauce

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A sweet & tangy cherry cola & whiskey bbq sauce that’s super easy to make & goes perfectly with smoked meats, burgers & fries.

If you’re looking for a really good homemade barbecue sauce to serve with your next batch of low & slow barbecue then this is the recipe for you!

Here we’re making a sweet & sticky barbecue sauce that’s full of cherry cola, whiskey, tomato ketchup, spices & pickle juice. It’s rich, tangy & goes fantastically well with smoked pulled pork, grilled chicken & burgers. Plus, it’s seriously easy to make!

In This Post

What You’ll Need

Cherry Cola – Any type will work as long as it doesn’t have reduced sugar. I like to use Coca Cola.
Whiskey – Use you’re favourite whiskey here. If you’d like to make this sauce without alcohol, simply leave the whiskey out.
Ketchup – I like Heinz tomato sauce best but any type will work. We’re also adding a spoonful of tomato paste in our sauce, for extra flavour.
Mustard – We’re using French’s mustard here for a tangy flavour.
Sugar – Dark brown sugar & black treacle are used for their deep molasses flavour & colour.
Spices – A mix of smoked paprika, ground cumin & tabasco add a touch of spice.
Pickle Juice – The juice from a jar of dill pickled gherkins adds sweetness & tanginess to this bbq sauce. Vinegar can also be used.
Worcestershire Sauce – A splash of this enhances & deepens the flavours in our bbq sauce.

How To Make Cherry Cola Whiskey BBQ Sauce

The full, printable recipe card for this sauce can be found at the bottom of this post!

Reduce Cola – First, we’re pouring the cherry cola into a saucepan then cooking it over a medium-high heat until it has reduced in volume by half. This concentrates the flavour & thickens it up slightly.
Add Ketchup, Sugar & Spices – Next we add all of the remaining sauce ingredients into the reduced cola then season with salt & pepper.
Cook Out – Now we cook the bbq sauce over a medium-low heat until the sugars & spices have all dissolved. This will take 5-10 minutes. Make sure to stir the sauce frequently to stop it catching in the pan.
Pass – Once cooked, we pass the sauce through a sieve then leave it to cool completely before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cherry cola is best for bbq sauce?

Any cherry cola will work as long as doesn’t have reduced sugar. I like to use Coca Cola.

What type of pickle juice is best for bbq sauce?

The juice from a jar of dill pickled gherkins is best for bbq sauce. If you haven’t got any, white wine or apple cider vinegar will also work.

How should bbq sauce be stored?

Homemade bbq sauce should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge.

How long will homemade bbq sauce keep for?

Kept in the fridge, homemade bbq sauce will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Cooking BBQ Sauce On An Aga

With all of my recipes, I include cooking instructions for conventional ovens, fan ovens & also Agas. Here’s how to cook this recipe in an Aga…

Reduce the cola using the boiling plate then use the simmering plate to cook the sauce.

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A sweet & tangy cherry cola & whiskey bbq sauce that's super easy to make & goes perfectly with smoked meats, burgers & fries.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Sauces, Sides

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 Portions

Author: Ben Racey

Equipment

Medium Saucepan
Sieve

Ingredients

330 ml Cherry Cola See Notes
350 g Tomato Ketchup
70 g Black Treacle
65 g Dark Brown Sugar
3 tbsp Pickle Juice See Notes
2½ tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tbsp Whiskey
1 tbsp French's Mustard
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
1½ tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Ground Cumin
¼ tsp Tabasco

Instructions

Pour the cherry cola into a medium saucepan then set it over a medium-high heat. Bring to the boil then reduce by half. This will take around 5 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat, add all of the remaining ingredients into the reduced cola. Season with salt & pepper then whisk to combine.
Place the pan back on the stove, over a low heat then cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently until the sugars & spices have dissolved into the sauce.
Pass the sauce into a container, through a sieve then leave to cool completely. Once cool, store in the fridge.

Notes

1. Cherry Cola – Any full fat/sugar cherry cola will work. I used Coca Cola. For this recipe, you’ll need 330ml which is one can.

2. Tomato Ketchup – You can use any tomato ketchup for this bbq sauce but I’d recommend Heinz.

3. Pickle Juice – We’re using the juice out of a jar of dill pickled gherkins here but feel free to use vinegar instead. I would add this to taste as you probably won’t need as much.

4. Storage – Kept in an airtight container, bbq sauce will keep for up to 2 weeks.

5. Cooking – For an extra level of flavour, you can cook this sauce in a barbecue as oppose to a stove. I’d recommend heating your barbecue to a low temperature (around 300f/150°c) & cooking the sauce for around 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

6. To Cook In An Aga – Reduce the cola using the boiling plate then use the simmering plate to cook the sauce.