In honor of today being National Carbonated Beverage Day, we thought we would share a fantastic recipe that can be used for numerous BBQ applications. For those of you from the South, you may be familiar with the tradition of using the flavors or soft drinks for barbecue sauce.

Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

Yield:  1.5 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup root beer
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon mild-flavored (light) molasses
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan.

Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes.

Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Cool slightly. Transfer to bowl. Cover and refrigerate.