Slather a seriously savory (and seriously easy) brew-based barbecue sauce on beef, chicken or pork. Use our basic recipe below, and change the beer according to what you grill.

You’re grilling: beef  Pour in: a porter

A malty beer with a dose of roast makes a thick, rich sauce that stands up to burly beef flavor; a smooth porter laden with chocolate or smoke can muscle its way through all that meat. Heat lovers: Add a teaspoon of chopped chilies or a few dashes of extra hot sauce; a porter base will be thick and sweet enough to handle it.

You’re grilling: chicken  Pour in: an amber ale

Chicken’s moist white meat opens up nicely to the gentle malt flavors of a well-balanced amber; the beer’s caramel notes and pop of citrusy hops are strong enough to counter the smoke and spice that develop on the grill—think sweet meets savory.

You’re grilling: pork  Pour in: a fruit ale

No matter the cut, pork’s a juicy, tender blank canvas. A sweet apricot ale or berry lambic pumps up barbecue sauce’s sweetness; the pork’s earthiness keeps the sugar in check. Fruit acids make them natural meat tenderizers; consider adding chopped fresh or glazed apricots or raspberries into the mix for extra fruit flavor.