Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil
  • ½ cup Finely Diced White Onion
  • 2 cloves Minced Garlic
  • 1 ½ cups Ketchup (high quality, low sugar preferred)
  • ½ cup Cold Water
  • ½ cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
  • 2 Tbsp Blackstrap Molasses
  • ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce (low sodium)
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • ¼ cup Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey (or Bourbon)
  • 1 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1 tsp Dried Mustard Powder
  • ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
  • ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 tsp Coarse Salt
  • ½ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions:

  1. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook gently until softened and translucent, about 5–7 minutes. Do not let the onions brown.
  2. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat briefly. Carefully pour in the Jack Daniel’s Whiskey. Return to medium heat and let it come to a rapid bubble for 1 minute. This burns off the raw alcohol, leaving behind the complex flavor notes.
  4. Stir in the ketchup, water, brown sugar, molasses, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
  5. Add the mustard powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir thoroughly.
  6. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting (a slow simmer). The surface should only bubble occasionally.
  7. Simmer uncovered for 35–45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce must reduce by roughly one-third to one-half, achieving a thick, syrupy, glossy consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
  8. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the fresh lemon juice.
  9. Allow the sauce to cool completely at room temperature, as it will thicken considerably. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.