Weber Is Rolling Out 3 New Seasoning Blends With A Boozy Twist

Weber, the subsidiary brand of B&G Foods best known for its grills, sauces, and seasonings, announced in an August 17 press release that it's partnering with some beloved brands to bring boozy flavors to your next cookout. Like the age-old advice to cook with the wine you'll be drinking, now you can grill with the flavors of your favorite whiskeys from the Sazerac Company (without wasting any whiskey): Buffalo Trace, Southern Comfort, and Fireball.

The spices are non-alcoholic, but they're designed to "capture the flavors iconic to each brand" to enhance meat, veggies, and sides. The Buffalo Trace blend is advertised as smooth and savory, with "sweet fruit flavor and rich caramel notes;" the Southern Comfort one as having spiced stone fruit flavors, warm spices, and garlic; and the Fireball seasoning as bold, sweet cinnamon heat.

The three new spice blends will be available in 6.5-ounce shakers at Kroger stores later in August. A nine-ounce size of the Buffalo Trace seasoning will be available exclusively at Sam's Club starting in September.

As part of the new seasonings' release, Weber has designed recipes featuring each spice blend. The company recommends using the Fireball blend with wings, ribs, pasta salads, and desserts. The recipe designed for the sweet cinnamon heat blend is Fireball sweet potato fries. This spice features sugar, salt, honey powder, garlic and onion, cinnamon, cayenne, and whiskey; it would play up the sweet depth of sweet potatoes while providing a spicy, salty kick.

The Buffalo Trace blend is advertised as being good for meats, desserts, and sides, such as Weber's recipe for caramelized onion mac and cheese, undoubtedly meant to play up the smooth whiskey's caramel notes. It's made with turbinado sugar, salt, garlic, onion, bourbon, caramel, molasses, and it brings in umami flavors from soy sauce. It would be excellent in a brisket rub.

The Southern Comfort blend features salt, garlic, brown sugar, whiskey, citric acid, and orange oil. Weber recommends using it on chicken, vegetables (it would be great on roasted carrots), and potatoes. Its recipe for Savory SoCo Biscuits is a seasoned drop biscuit, brushed with melted butter mixed with the seasoning and served warm with honey.

Bryan Rakowski, Brand Portfolio Vice President at Sazerac, even floated the idea of using the spice blends in cocktails. Though it may seem unusual to put something with garlic in it into a drink, whiskey can be used in savory drinks, such as a bacon-bourbon old fashioned with spiced candied bacon.