Fruit, alcohol add distinctive flavors to barbecueFruit, alcohol add distinctive flavors to barbecue

Barbecue has long been all about where it’s from — be it Texas, Kansas City or South Carolina. But as the popularity of this cooking technique continues to spread like smoke wafting from burning wood, chefs continue to explore new ways to differentiate, or elevate, their dishes from regional favorites.

In recent years, some chefs have been trying to make their barbecue mark with offbeat, fruit-based sauces, or with bourbon, beer or spirit-infused sauces.

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According to recent research from Datassential MenuTrends, fruit-based barbecue sauces and barbecue sauces that incorporate alcohol are trending on menus. Barbecue sauces with spirits such as bourbon or fruits such as apple have seen more than triple-digit growth on menus of n...