Photo: sporkist/Flickr

Barbecue sauce is not something home cooks typically think of making by themselves – but, if you give it a shot, you’ll find it difficult to go back to Sweet Baby Ray’s. Not only are homemade variants surprisingly easy to make – usually, all that’s required is a quick thickening on the stove – the taste is a whole different experience than what you’d get at a supermarket (think: thick molasses in place of high fructose corn syrup, fresh rosemary instead of dried, your best vinegar in place of their bottom-shelf variety).

My favorite recipe has long been this bourbon barbecue sauce from Gourmet, which I’ve poured over everything from chicken to grilled pineapples (if you’re not much of a drinker, I find those miniature bottles of booze they sell at liquor stores come to almost exactly fourth of a cup). But there are as many different kinds of barbecue sauce as there are barbecue fans, and with three weeks left until July 4, avid grillers have plenty of time to find their favorite in time for Independence Day. Here are some recipes from around the web that are worth trying; your guests will be seriously impressed.

• I’ve had this Orange-Chipotle BBQ from Eat Make Read bookmarked for a while – it looks like a great combination of sweet and spicy.
• What could be more patriotic than barbecue sauce made with Coca-Cola?
• I suspect that you can trust a Texan to know from good barbecue, and this recipe was allegedly Sam Houston’s favorite.
• Ina Garten’s barbecue sauce. Enough said.
• This barbecue sauce has a secret ingredient that may be difficult to find, but who said perfection came easy?

Readers, we now turn to you: do you have a barbecue recipe you’re dying to share? Any tips for the perfect barbecue burger or sloppy joe? Leave us a comment!