An Easy Way to Improve a Recipe? Just Add Alcohol

In the 1949 cookbook, With a Jug of Wine, the author (and Chicago Tribune columnist) Morrison Wood writes a damn convincing argument for keeping alcohol in your recipe repertoire. “It is, of course, entirely possible to cook without wine,” he opines. “It is also possible to wear suits and dresses made out of flour of gunny sacks; to build a house out of milk bottles; to walk up to Joe Louis and slap him across the face without any provocation; or to win an argument from one’s better half. But who wants to?”

For millennia, people have cooked with alcohol—long before recipes were written down—as a way to add depth to dishes, to harmonize flavors, coax specific textures and to add a certain zing that can’t easily be replicated with other ingredients. (Thankfully, in the centuries since, these recipes have been documented and improved upon.)

Many types of alcohol can be used in recipes, wine being one of the most common. Dry whites and reds are among the most popular (steer clear of anything labeled “cooking wine,” advises Wine Enthusiast’s Food Editor Nils Bernstein) for stews and soups, while fortified wines like Madeira, Sherry or Port can impart deeper flavors. And don’t forget about spirits. Vodka (of all things) lends itself to pie crusts and the anise in Pernod enhances mussels.

With that spirit in mind (no pun intended), we’ve rounded up some of our favorite boozy, alcohol-infused recipes.

The Best Beer Cheese

Beer cheese—a spread made with beer, cheese and spices—originated in Kentucky (and is still ubiquitous there) but has found a devoted fanbase throughout the country. This recipe relies on horseradish to give it a kick.

Steamed Mussels with Pernod Cream Sauce

Pair this anise-scented dish, courtesy of the French liqueur Pernod, with Champagne.

Drunken Red Wine Pasta

Cooking pasta in wine is a classic technique and this recipe relies on Nero d’Avola and pistachios to achieve a distinctly southern Italian flair.

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The Best Vodka Sauce

Adding vodka to a sauce of cream and tomato helps emulsify the mix and gives it a peppery zing. This adaptable recipe comes together in just 30 minutes.

A Beer Batter for Anything Fried

The reason for adding beer into fry batter has to do with food science: the bubbles yield a crispier crunch. Try this recipe for anything you like deep fried.

Sherry-Glazed Chicken

Treat this glaze, made with cream Sherry, like barbecue or teriyaki sauce. The recipe calls for crisp chicken thighs, but we also approve it for wings and other proteins.

Boeuf Bourguignon

Consider this one-pot dish peak comfort food. Beef and vegetables are slowly braised in a sauce that includes an entire bottle of red wine.

Pollo al Salmorejo Canario

This dish hails from the Canary Islands and involves chicken marinated overnight in a deep-red sauce of paprika, cumin and white wine.

Fish with Butter Sauce

This recipe from the Loire Valley is made with cream, shallots and dry white wine, and is typically served over river fish.

Poached Halibut in Caviar Beurre Blanc

Sparkling wine and caviar are a classic pair and this time they meet in an indulgent sauce over halibut, adapted from Healdsburg’s famed Dry Creek Kitchen.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake

It’s hard to improve upon a flourless chocolate cake, but this recipe does it—with a generous splash of Pinot Noir.

Vodka Pie Crust

The secret to a tender and flaky pie crust every time you bake? Vodka. Because of its chemistry, it hydrates flour better than water and yields less gluten.

Wild Ale Sorbet

Beer for dessert? Yes, please. The fruity notes present in wild ales are well suited for a sweet treatment, like this sorbet inspired by a dish served at the beer bar Ruck in Troy, New York.

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Drunken Sweet Potato Pudding

Bourbon elevates this classic dish and lends notes of caramel nuttiness. Top it off with whipped cream, and you’ve got a sweet, seasonal dessert that’s sure to impress dinner guests.

Coquito Cheesecake

A riff on coquito, a traditional rum-based Puerto Rican holiday beverage made with warming spices and coconut milk, this cheesecake is a dessert that reads like a drink.