Barbecue sauce is one of those things that took me years to figure out. Most recipes I tried were too sweet, too vinegary, too weird. One day I said to hell with it and threw a bunch of stuff in a pot on the stove. And it turned out wonderfully.
I usually never measure anything, but when I made a batch a few weeks ago I decided to write it all down and share. Sharing is caring, yo.
This particular sauce is sweet and tangy, with a bit of heat. The great thing about this sauce is that it’s easily adaptable – don’t like it sweet? Back off on the molasses. Like it extra garlicky? Add more. Don’t drink alcohol? Well then you’re just a weirdo and I can’t help you. Don’t add any.
The sauce starts out with onions, garlic, and bell pepper in a pan. Once the vegetables are soft, everything else is dumped right in. The sauce takes about 20 minutes to throw togeher, if that.
At the very end, a couple shots of bourbon are stirred in. Hoo boy.
This sauce goes great with just about anything – the last time I made a batch, I cooked a pork roast in the crock pot, then shredded the meat and added it to the sauce. Perfect.

This sounds delicious. And you can never go wrong with bourbon…or rum.
I admit, my favorite part of the sauce is the bourbon.