BBQ sauce styles, explained

Every barbecue region thinks its sauce is the right one. Each is a little bit right. Here is what sets them apart, and which of our bottles fits each style.

Kansas City: thick and sweet

Tomato, molasses and brown sugar, cooked down until it clings. Made for burnt ends, ribs and anything that wants a sticky glaze. Ours is Stoten's Kansas City; Sieveking's Hickory & Brown Sugar leans the same direction with more hickory.

Memphis: tangy tomato for ribs

Thinner and tangier than Kansas City, with vinegar, a little molasses and paprika. Memphis ribs often come dry-rubbed with the sauce on the side. Ours is Sieveking's Memphis.

Carolina: mustard, vinegar and honey

South Carolina’s gold sauces swap tomato for mustard. Eastern North Carolina skips both and goes straight vinegar and pepper. Double S Sweet & Smoky is our mild Carolina Gold, and Sieveking's Honey Carolina is our sweet-and-tangy take. Both are made for pulled pork.

Texas: thin, peppery, on the side

Central Texas brisket barely needs sauce, so what you do get is thin and peppery so it doesn’t bury the beef. Double S Texas adds jalapeño and cayenne.

St. Louis: sweet, tangy, sauced after the grill

Our hometown style is less about a recipe than a habit: pork steaks and spare ribs grilled hot, then dunked or brushed with a sweet, tangy tomato sauce. See our St. Louis pork steaks and St. Louis-style ribs.

Which Double S sauce fits each style?

Want to taste the whole map? The BBQ Road Trip puts six regional styles in one box, and the sauce guide ranks every bottle by heat.

More guides: When to sauce (and when not to) · How long does BBQ sauce last?