How To Cook With Whiskey: A Beginner's Guide

Many people love drinking whiskey. One thing that has been as popular as drinking whiskey is cooking with whiskey. The spirit adds a lovely booziness to dishes that create a depth of flavor that spirit drinkers love. There are so many ways to cook with whiskey and so many ways that whiskey reacts to heat.

We will go through some traditional ways to cook with whiskey and some new, unique ideas. There are traditional recipes from around the country that require different forms of the spirit, though there are so many potential ways to get cooking with whisky. Add some amazing flavor to your dishes today!

Cranachan

Cranachan is the most famous recipe that uses whisky. The Scottish dessert is made up of fresh raspberries, oats, double cream, sugar, honey, and whisky. Specifically, the traditional ingredient is a fantastic single malt scotch. This is one of the few recipes that you’ll see cooking with scotch. The coveted whisky is so revered many people won’t mask its flavors unless in a Cranachan!

Cranachan is traditionally served after the August harvest in Scotland. It is a celebration of the August harvest where berries and other fruit can be found populating the Scottish countryside. You can add whisky to taste here, so make it as potent or mild as you like!

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BBQ Sauce

BBQ sauce has got to be up there with the most American ingredients. It is a staple of so many things American, from actual BBQ to a condiment, to a glazing tool, it has so many applications. One way to make sure that BBQ sauce is flavorful is by adding some booze. We love adding whiskey or bourbon to add some kick to the tangy sauce.

We have a few favorite BBQ sauce recipes for different applications. The first is a spreadable, rich sauce that works for marinades and as a condiment. It’s the darker-looking sauce that you’re probably picturing. To make this combine ketchup, vinegar, bourbon, brown sugar, black molasses, garlic, pepper, and paprika to a bowl and stir till combined.

The next one is more of a glazing sauce and to make this you’ll need ketchup, honey, whiskey, Worcestershire sauce, fresh garlic, and vinegar. This works amazingly well on roasted chickens to make the most amazing whiskey chicken. The whiskey will mellow out after cooking and produce a sweet, tangy glaze.

Whiskey Salted Caramel

One of our absolute favorite things to do with whiskey, besides drinking it, is put it in caramel sauce. We love cooking with whiskey, but sometimes if you cook it too long the taste dissipates. This recipe is a perfect way to maintain the boozy element of whiskey while maintaining balance in the dish.

Simply melt sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Once melted add in butter and stir vigorously. Next, add in the double cream and whisk vigorously until the milk becomes incorporated. Add in sea salt and whiskey or bourbon and allow to cool. Cooking with whiskey can be so simple when done right and this caramel sauce is definitely right!

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Hot Honey Whiskey Chicken

We absolutely love fried chicken. It might not be the healthiest dish in the world but it is one of the tastiest! One thing we love doing is a whiskey chicken. You want to essentially fry chicken how you would normally. Once it is out of the frier, paint on a whiskey, honey, and hot sauce mixture and allow it to adhere.

Whiskey chicken is an American creation that is adored around the country. The soft, succulent chicken pieces are bolstered by the tangy, smoky, sweet glaze that makes the whole meal pop incredibly well.

Whiskey Pear Pie

Not only is this a satisfying thing to say, but it is also an incredible creation that we think you’ll love. Baking with whiskey isn’t a regular thing but we think this whiskey pear pie will be a new favorite. You can serve this throughout the holiday season, or at a early fall cookout at your home.

You’ll want to make your favorite pie crust and par-bake it while you make the filling. Mandolin the pears so that they are thin. Melt butter and sugar in a pan with vanilla and some lemon. Add the whiskey to this mixture and coat the pears in it. Add this to the pie dough and add a lattice on top. Bake until fragrant and brown on top.

The baking with whiskey doesn’t have to stop there though. You can add some incredible, boozy whipped cream to serve. We love whipping double cream with vanilla and sieved icing sugar with a splash of bourbon. Spoon it up and serve on top of your fantastic pie!

We know the options are endless when it comes to cooking with whiskey. The basic rule is, to cook it for a while over the hob if you want the alcohol to burn off and have minimal flavor, and add it straight into something if you want the flavor to remain. We hope you’ve gained some inspiration for your own dishes from our list.