CROIX VALLEY: Blue-B-Cue™ BBQ Sauce | 355ml (12oz) glass bottle

Barbecue sauce with a berry twist

Croix Valley's Blue-B-Cue swaps the usual tomato base for real blueberry, built by a Hudson, Wisconsin family who's collected nine World Championship BBQ titles between them. It's fruity first, smoky-savoury underneath, and made to glaze low and slow without losing its BBQ backbone.

The flavour

Front: ripe blueberry sweetness hits first. Middle: a tomato-and-molasses BBQ base carries a savoury, smoky undertone. Finish: a gentle tang that keeps it from tipping into jam territory.

How to cook with it

• Brush onto pork ribs in the last 15–20 minutes so the sugars glaze rather than scorch
• Warm the bottle before brushing — it spreads thinner and coats more evenly
• Use as a finishing glaze on pulled pork straight out of the smoker
• Stir a spoonful through mayo for a quick blueberry-BBQ burger sauce
• Left-field: swirl into softened cream cheese for a berry-BBQ cracker dip

In the bottle

Deep purple-red, thick enough to cling to a brush without pooling. Warms up glossy over heat and caramelises at the edges rather than burning if you keep it moving.

Ingredients & Dietary

Ingredients (from the brand's label): Tomato Concentrate (tomato, sugar, vinegar, spice, onion), Brown Sugar, Blueberries, Tapioca Syrup, Cider Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Granulated Garlic, Natural Flavor, Spices, Salt.

Dietary: Vegan and gluten free (brand-stated) — always check the physical label.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Blueberry in a BBQ bottle sounds like a stretch until it's glazed over warm ribs and the doubts quietly disappear. Brush it thin in the last twenty minutes so the fruit sugars glaze instead of scorching. Season the pork first with SinsQue's Grunt cherry pork rub for a proper cherry-and-berry finish. Wings work too — dust them with Blackbear BBQ Chicken Rub and toss them in the sauce once they're crisp.

Questions answered

Is Blue-B-Cue sauce sweet or savoury?

It's fruit-forward and sweet up front, with a tomato-and-smoke BBQ base underneath, so it reads sweet-savoury rather than dessert-sweet.

Does it contain nuts or gluten?

No nuts are listed on the brand's label and Croix Valley states it contains no major allergens; the brand also describes it as gluten free. Always check the physical label before serving.

What size is the bottle?

It's a 355ml (12oz) glass bottle, made in Hudson, Wisconsin, USA.