There are a variety of reasons for using alcohol – for flavour or because it will affect the cooking or baking process – and understanding them can help make a common sense decision about whether to substitute it or leave it out. Keep in mind that, during cooking, alcohol evaporates completely.

ESSENCE TO THE RESCUE

For flavouring purposes, it is easy enough to substitute the flavour of the liquor or liqueur with that of an essence or flavouring. You can even get a brandy essence!

Naturally an essence is far stronger than the taste that will come from the liqueur so use the appropriate amount of essence and then make up the liquid volume with water, grape or apple juice.

WHAT ABOUT WINE, CIDER AND BEER?

Wine is often called for in a recipe and here a good chicken or beef stock with some vinegar makes a suitable substitution. Alternatively replace it with Verjuice, an unfermented grape juice used in non-alcoholic cooking, or an alcohol-free wine or sparkling wine.

Clear apple juice can be used in recipes that call for cider, sweet sherry or sweet mirin.

However, once the alcohol has burnt off, some of the flavour, caramelisation (which comes about as the liquid is burnt off and the sugar remains) that comes from the wine will be lost.

Generally, red wine can be replaced with red grape juice, apple juice, or broth to get the specified amount of liquid called for in the recipe.

Dry white wine can be substituted with chicken stock or consommé, ginger ale, white grape juice, white wine vinegar or the liquid from canned mushrooms.

For fortified wine 1/4 cup or more port, sweet sherry, rum, brandy, liqueur can be exchanged for an equal measure of unsweetened orange juice or apple juice plus 1t of corresponding flavoured extract or vanilla extract.

Beer or stout is often used in batters, breads and cake mixtures and performs the chemical function of helping these recipes rise as well as leaving a rich flavour behind. Keep an eye out for alcohol-free beers that do the job perfectly. Alternatively use a recipe that calls for other leavening agents such as yeast, baking soda or baking powder.

WHEN MAKING MARINADES

Similarly, marinades that call for wine do so because the acidity of the wine helps to break down tough fibres in the meat as well as allowing flavour to be absorbed by the meat. A good substitute is tomato juice or the juice of any acidic citrus fruit like lemons, limes or even oranges or grapefruits. Also see ‘sherry’ below.

FLAME IT UP

Lastly, alcohol is used when a recipe calls for something to be flambéed. Here there is no real substitute and while part of the reason for flambéing is for flavour, there is nothing else that can be used for the actual flambéing.

FLAVOURING WITHOUT ALCOHOL

Here are a couple of the most common alcohols that you may have to substitute in recipes:

• Amaretto: For 2T Amaretto or other almond-flavoured liqueur, substitute 1/2t almond extract
• Bourbon: For 2T bourbon, use 2t vanilla extract
• Brandy: For 2T brandy, substitute with ½–1t brandy extract
• Coffee liqueur:For 2T Kahlua or other coffee or chocolate- flavored liqueur, substitute with ½–1t chocolate extract plus ½–1t instant coffee granules dissolved in 2t hot water or espresso.
• Cointreau or orange liqueur (Grand Marnier): Use orange juice, frozen orange juice concentrate or 2T orange juice and 1/2t orange extract.
• Kahlua: Use chocolate extract, 1t per 2T of Kahlua. Alternatively, use 1t instant expresso powder per 2T of Kahlua
• Liquorice or anise flavored liqueur: Can be substituted with anise, Italian soda syrup or fennel.
• Rum: Use non-alcoholic vanilla or rum extract or pineapple juice or syrup flavoured with almond extract.
• Sherry: For 2T sherry, substitute the following: 1–2t vanilla extract or 2T orange or pineapple juice. To substitute sherry in a marinade: for 1/2 cup sherry use 1/4 cup vinegar + 1t sugar + 1/4 water or 1T vinegar, plus chicken stock or water to make 1/2 cup.
• Vodka: Can be replaced with white grape juice mixed with lime juice.