Last year we gave you some delicious pairings by picking a specific dish and a specific beer to enjoy together. But with so many amazing beers and BBQ at Windy City Smokeout, we thought we would go even bigger this year with our pairing guide. Here are the numbers – with fifteen beers at the craft stand available and twenty-five BBQ booths, each with an average of three offerings, that’s over a thousand combinations! Now, I love me some beer and BBQ but the Smokeout only lasts the weekend and I’m trying to watch my figure. That is why we decided to get real nerdy for you this year and put together an ultimate pairing guide chart.
So here’s what I’m imagining the situation going like for you:
It’s warm – you’re at a festival – you just got inside and you go straight for an ice cold beer. Now that you have your drink of choice, you start to smell the enticing scent of BBQ cloying pulling you towards the booths like a cartoon pie on a window sill. But wait! You picked a very hoppy IPA to start the day (you do you) and you’re worried you’re going to pick something that doesn’t pair well with your drink of choice. You then remember that you saw an Instagram post from LakeshoreBeverage with the text “Windy City Smokeout Beer and BBQ Guide” and decide to open it up. Boom – day saved. Awesome BBQ to pair with your equally awesome beer and your day just got even better and you found $20 in your pocket you forgot you had.
Alright, maybe it won’t turn out exactly like that (I don’t have enough twenty dollar bills to sneak into everyone’s pocket) but even if it helps a handful of people navigate the sometimes complex worlds of craft beer, BBQ, and food & beverage pairing, I think this was worth putting together. Remember though – beer and BBQ are, first and foremost, supposed to be fun! Pair whatever you guys want because everyones’ palette is different and there’s no law on matching beers to food. This is a guide that we feel will steer most people to a wonderful eating and drinking experience based on expert opinions gathered over time.
So without further ado…
(left to right) 2M Smokehouse BBQ – TEXAS STYLE JUMBO BEEF RIB WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE, Pig Beach BBQ – BBQ LAMB SHOULDER TACOS, Salt Lick BBQ – WORLD FAMOUS SMOKED BRISKET & ROPE SAUSAGE
(left to right) Lexington Betty Smokehouse – T&T PORK SPARE RIBS, Ubons BBQ – PULLED PORK SANDWICH, Wright’s Barbecue – FRIED BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH SMOKED BACON, Jack Stack Barbecue – HICKORY PIT BEANS, Hoodoo Brown BBQ – SMOKED HALF CHICKEN WITH YUCATAN WHITE SAUCE, Green Street Smoked Meats – LOADED ELOTES WITH CRISPY PORK BELLY
(left to right) Chef Art Smith Restaurants – STICKY CHICKEN BISCUIT SANDWICH, Meat Mitch – KANSAS CITY BURNT ENDS; JALAPEÑO CHEDDAR ROPE SAUSAGE, Dampf Good BBQ – SMOKED ITALIAN BEEF SANDWHICH W/ JP GRAZIANO’S HOT GIARDENIERA, Operation BBQ Relief – BANANA PUDDING, Hogapalooza – BABY BACK RIBS
This year’s spread is some of the best BBQ we’ve ever had! Thank you to all the BBQ vendors this year for providing us these amazing dishes for us to photograph and taste! Can’t wait to see what’s coming next year!