Barbecue Pitmaster Aaron Franklin Is a Rye Whiskey Enthusiast, Here Are His Top Picks

'Whiskey is liquid barbecue.'

Austin, Texas knows how to have a good time. Widely recognized for its live music scene and vibrant food and drink culture, the city hosts some of the biggest festivals in the country. Austin has a way of bringing all sorts of people together.

Austin-based chef Aaron Franklin knows something about this. The James Beard Award-winning chef, author, and American Royal Barbecue Hall of Famer has fused two of the city’s iconic scenes, live music and award-winning barbecue, at his renowned Franklin Barbecue. At his newest venture, Uptown Sports Club, a Louisiana-inspired concept with a Texas accent, Franklin flexes his enthusiasm for American whiskeys — specifically, rye.

Franklin curates Uptown’s whiskey list. He likes to present guests with rare picks on a fat block of ice, such as his latest favorite, New Riff Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. Though he’s grown to have a greater appreciation for premium whiskeys, this passion has evolved over time.

“Working around restaurants, you’d have a beer and shot,” says Franklin. “If you go to a rock show, it’s like, ‘Give me a whiskey,’ or ‘Give me a lager.’ Somewhere along the way, I realized that dark spirits are more my thing.”

“My love for whiskey happened post-barbecue. I started noticing the similarities between vanillin and sweet flavors while cooking barbecue. There were similarities in the tastes of whiskeys I like, such as some of the sweeter and toasted barrel flavors.”

Aaron Franklin, chef, author, barbecue pitmaster

In his early 20s, Franklin says he “exclusively drank Knob Creek,” usually received as a gift, which fueled his Beam Suntory preference over the years. Franklin’s whiskey enlightenment reached new strata after he sharpened his barbecue skills.

“My love for whiskey happened post-barbecue,” he says. “I started noticing the similarities between vanillin and sweet flavors while cooking barbecue. There were similarities in the tastes of whiskeys I like, such as some of the sweeter and toasted barrel flavors.”

“It was all about the similarities between barbecue and whiskey, the science behind them. Whiskey is liquid barbecue.”

Related: 11 Best American Rye Whiskeys for Your Liquor Cabinet

The passion and curiosity that drives Franklin to perfect the art of fork-tender brisket is the same inquisitiveness that informs his approach to whiskeys.

“I love the way whiskey tastes and learning about how it’s made, not just the mash bill,” says Franklin. “I like to know how the heat cycles. Was it re-barreled, or did it age in a Port barrel?”

About six years ago, Franklin experienced his first premium rye, thanks to friend and fellow chef Chris Shepherd at Houston’s Georgia James Steak.

Franklin ordered an Old Fashioned, and Shepherd suggested Willett Family Estate 4-Year Rye Whiskey, which was challenging to get in Texas at the time because of allocation. Franklin became hooked on Willett 4-Year, and a rye whiskey convert was born.

“I like barrel-strength whiskey, but it’s hard to drink those big ones with food,” says Franklin.

Then came a shocking revelation, coming from an award-winning pitmaster. “I don’t eat barbecue, I cook it. It’s like when you cook a Thanksgiving meal, and you’ve been cooking turkey all day. The last thing you want to do is sit down and think, ‘I’m looking forward to eating some turkey.’

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years. There are a lot of barbecue cooks that I think are amazing,” he says. “I love their food, but I’m not going out there like, ‘Man, I'm excited to eat barbecue!’”

When Franklin craves barbecue, he's generally in the Carolinas, where they’re known for the whole hog. “That's the stuff that I do get excited about. If Sam Jones is cooking somewhere in North Carolina or [I’m at] Rodney Scott’s place.”

What makes for the best food and rye whiskey pairing, according to Franklin? The chef suggests a burger alongside an effervescent Whiskey Highball.

“It’s really flipping hot down here most of the time, so I like my whiskeys like my beers, kind of refreshing. I don’t do big IPAs,” says Franklin. “I'm fond of Old Overholt 10 (a cask-strength, 10-year rye), and I usually start with that on a rock.”  Franklin also says he’s a fan of Old Fitzgerald 8-Year, Traverse City Whiskey Co., and Nine Banded Wheated Straight Bourbon.

Read on for a few of Franklin’s barbecue-meets-whiskey tips.

Quality over quantity

Life is short. Whiskeys are meant to be enjoyed, not to simply sit on a shelf.

“I’m not one of those collectors hoarding all kinds of bottles. These people don’t make whiskey for you to just stare at. I have a handful of really special ones,” says Franklin.

It’s OK if you only have three to five go-to whiskeys, as long as you relish them. “I don't go around tasting hundreds of different whiskeys,” says Franklin. “I know the ones I like. I know how they make it, and I get excited for certain ones. I can take the other ones or leave them.”

He believes that quality trumps quantity. “I also feel that way about barbecue because you only eat so much food before it all starts to taste the same. The same thing applies to whiskey, espresso, and wine,” says Franklin.

Enjoy the journey

Franklin is drawn to the science behind whiskey. And he likes to take his time with a pour. 

“I want to start neat and maybe rub a bit on my hand to get a good whiff. Then, I’d add a rock. A glass of whiskey is truly a journey,” says Franklin. “I’m not going to slam it or be like, ‘I only drink it neat.’ I drink it all ways.”

Franklin loves an unheralded whiskey with unexpected value. “I get really excited when something seems like it should be good, and then it punches way above its weight,” he says. “You're like, ‘Wow, this is a $60 bottle, and this should be about $160.’”

Aaron Franklin’s top three rye whiskey picks

Willett Family Estate 4-Year Rye Whiskey

“Willet 4-Year Rye is my fave. I buy it by the case and gift it to everybody every year. I keep plenty of it on hand at home. That’s my go-to,” says Franklin. “This was the first whiskey I noticed nuance in flavor. I’m sold on anything by Willett. What they can do in a short amount of time is just incredible.”

Michter’s US 1 Kentucky Straight Rye

“I love how consistent Michter’s is, and they’ve got some really good ones. It’s almost like pure science, and it’s painfully consistent,” says Franklin. “They air out their staves before they make their barrels, and they’re so specific. That’s like the Franklin Barbecue side of it, like, ‘How do we replicate this flavor and make this over and over again?’”

New Riff Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

“It's good, and it's affordable. I think it's nuanced and has many layers. It's not as rich as a Willett, but it's still got the flavor,” says Franklin.

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