Liquor To Have On Hand Even If You Don't Drink

We always seem to be the odd man (or woman rather) out at parties because we don't drink. But that doesn't mean we don't have a well stocked liquor cabinet! Why would we need it around if we aren't mixing up a favorite cocktail? Because we just can't get certain tastes in our food without it, especially in baking! It doesn't cost much and can take up very little space in your cupboard, but will make the biggest difference in your end results...

Even though we don't drink and we stick firmly to our guns on that policy, we do consume trace amounts of alcohol that don't quite burn off in the cooking process of some of our favorite recipes. Even when alcohol is boiled or flambed, it will still leave a ever so slight amount behind unless it's cooked above boiling point for longer than most recipes call for. But enough with the science and on with the booze!

We fill our pantry with mini bottles. It looks like we raided the mini bar at a hotel , but in all honesty, since we don't drink, they're the perfect size bottles and are frequently on sale for under $1. Most our recipes don't use more than 2 Tablespoons of any liquor, so they last us for 2-3 rounds of use. Wines and Beer on the other hand require larger packaging.

In our pantry here's what we keep stocked:
• A few bottles of stout beer. Usually used in breads and some cakes.
• Small boxes of red and white wine. Usually we buy what's cheapest and in the smallest boxes possible. We always have several on hand, but like having something that's easy to open and can be used in a few dishes without opening the next box. Perfect for deglazing pans without using stock.
• Marsala Wine. This one we pick up specifically as it's a great bold flavor to add with different proteins and veggie dishes.

We Use These Strictly In Baking:
• Mini bottles of Gin
• Mini bottles of Brandy (this one is almost essential in our pound cakes)
• Mini bottles of Rum (we should probably stop buying minis as often as we use it, but we still swear it's more inexpensive)
• Mini bottles of Whiskey
• Mini bottles of Amaretto (when we can find them)
• Tequilla (Mini bottles when we can find it, but they are often rare)
• Limoncello

What do you keep in your pantry for cooking?
Let us know in the comments below!

(Image: Sarah Rae Trover)

Comments (11)

Same problem here: I also don't drink much, and especially not by myself at home, so I never make regular trips to the liquor store. If I do stock anything in the pantry for cooking, it's bottles of white and red wine, but only when I go out of my way to get 'em.

I keep small bottles of red and white wine in the house (you can buy four packs of single serving bottles at Safeway) and occasionally use beer in my cooking. It's great in beef dishes.

Khalua is one I keep on hand for a specific cake recipe but the rest of my liquor cabinet has been aquired over time for various parties and signiture cocktails. It's not like the stuff goes bad, except the wine, really, and it's nice to be able to offer stuff to guests.

I keep tia maria for baking and port for cooking. I most frequently use the tia maria as a vanilla replacement in cookies and cakes. And the port is great for adding depth to reductions of pan juices.

Grand Mariner, Chambord and Khalua minis, for desserts and baking!

I'm with jm chen, Vermouth all the way! It's inexpensive & packs a ton of flavor.

I hate to be a party pooper, but for some of us "don't drink" and "can't" ARE the same thing, be it for personal, medical or religious reasons.

I've been thinking about this for a while - and wondering about alternatives. Is it really true that you "just can't get certain tastes in our food without it, especially in baking!"?

I've been using good-quality vinegars for a while to deglaze or beef up stocks and other things, but this has been controversial in my household and sometimes spectacularly unsuccessful.

I'd love to hear some suggestions for substitutions.

I should round out my liquor cabinet more.

Right now, I only have vodka, whiskey, and Kahlua. Should probably pick up some rum, amaretto, and tequila. Maybe some gin.

MaryWynn; I'm not a fan of alcohol and I just leave it out usually. Since I don't like the flavor, I don't miss that "certain taste". You can get depth of flavor for concentrated stock, tomato paste, etc. For baking, you could use vanilla beans of vanilla sugar instead of extract. To make the sugar, put a couple of vanilla beans in a jar and fill w/sugar. The vanilla flavors the sugar. Just refill it as you use it. I would think you could do the same w/herbs like mint... Some liquids can also be infused. You can infuse cream to use in ganache, ice cream... and simple syrup. Good luck.

Oh, my, yes. My mini liquor bottle stash is a bit embarrassing - it's slightly more than fits in a shoebox.

This does not include all the large bottles, or the homemade liqueurs; but then, I do drink.

http://www.abreadaday.com

I'm from Kentucky, so I keep bourbon around, to add oaky caramelly flavor to pies, chocolate desserts and main courses.