Big Red gives BBQ a boost

The first batch of Big Red soda was made in 1937, and once it left the Waco bottling plant, it sparked a cult of feverish fandom that continues to this day.

The flavor can be described as liquefied bubble gum with hints of fruit and vanilla, and a heavy hand of sugar. My dentist once told me to avoid anything that has more than 20 grams of sugar; a single can of Big Red has 43 grams.

Nobody knows the exact history of the popular pairing of Big Red and barbacoa, but it makes sense from a taste perspective. The creamy, sweet soda nicely counters the fatty and sometimes spicy meat. Wherever barbacoa is sold, you are likely to find Big Red.

The soda even inspired a hugely successful beer at San Antonio brewery Islla St. Brewing Co. When co-owner/brewmaster Joaquin Peña decided to use Big Red soda syrup in a batch of beer he called Big Rojo (now named just Rojo) in July, it created a frenzy.

The beer sold out almost immediately, and Peña said single 16-ounce cans were selling for as much as $100 on Craigslist. The beer still regularly sells out when Peña makes it, but you can buy it online through the Islla site, isllastreetbrewing.com, $16 for two cans.

“It really started off more as a joke,” Peña said. “There was no way we could have expected the demand to be what it was and the way it was received by the craft beer community. There is something about that Big Red that resonates with people.”

Big Red, either straight out of the can or reduced down to a syrup, also can be used in the kitchen, from baking to barbecue.

Lisa Krantz / Staff photographer Big Red turns smoked pork ribs into candied meat treats. Recipe, Page E16.