Grilling season is the time of year to make fruits the star of the meal and to do so, you should consider using a quick and easy whiskey glaze to finish it and amplify all those intense, sweet flavors. Brown sugar and whiskey are a natural pairing. When you want a sweeter bourbon experience, you rim your old fashioned with brown sugar. The dynamic duo also makes the ultimate dessert sauce in the form of a delicious glaze.
The process to create a bourbon whiskey sauce is fairly simple. Combine 1 cup of your whiskey with a pound of brown sugar and heat over an open flame or on the stovetop. You need to cook it until it has reduced to a syrupy glaze that is perfect for brushing onto grilled circles of pineapple, kebabs of berries, or sweet peaches and nectarines. The brown sugar and whiskey glaze are going to have sweet notes of vanilla and caramel that intensify the caramelized fruits, but the two are not the only combo that will have you licking the corners of your mouth.
Add more sugar for a thicker sauce
Break out the honey and combine it with your whiskey using a ratio of one part whiskey to four parts honey for a glaze that has floral notes that complement the sweet elements of your booze. If you like your glaze on the thicker side, add a little more honey. The same is true when using brown sugar. The greater the amount of the sugar element used, the thicker the glaze will be.
The more brown sugar, honey, or even maple syrup may also produce a glaze that is a little on the sweeter side. But don’t worry, you can use a little spice to balance the sweetness. Try adding a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, cayenne or black pepper, or even chili to the mix for a little kick. A sprinkle of sea salt will bring out the flavor and add a whole other layer of depth to this glaze, and in turn your grilled fruit. It will also enhance the woodsy, chocolaty, and fruity notes of your whiskey.
