Substitutes for Cooking with Alcohol

Alcoholic Ingredient Description
Substitution


Amaretto Italian almond-flavored liqueur
Almond extract.

Beer or ale Various types.
For light beers, substitute chicken broth, ginger ale or white grape juice.
For heavier beers, use a stronger beef, chicken or mushroom broth or stock.

Brandy Liquor made of distilled wine or fruit juice.
If a particular flavor is specified, use the corresponding fruit juice, such as apple, apricot, cherry, peach, raspberry etc. or grape juice. Corresponding flavored extracts can be used for small amounts.

Champagne Sparkling white wine.
Sparkling white grape juice, ginger ale, white wine.

Creme de menthe Thick and syrupy, sweetened mint liqueur.
Comes both clear and green.Mix spearmint extract or oil with a little water or grapefruit juice. Use a drop of food coloring if you need the green color.

Red Burgundy Dry French wine.
Red wine vinegar, grape juice.

Red wine Sweet or dry wine.
Beef or chicken broth or stock, diluted red wine vinegar, red grape juice diluted with red wine vinegar or rice vinegar, tomato juice, liquid from canned mushrooms, plain water.

Rum Liquor distilled from molasses or sugar syrup.
For light rum, use pineapple juice flavored with almond extract. For dark rum, use molasses thinned with pineapple juice and flavored with almond extract.

Sherry Fortified dessert wine, sweet or dry, some with a slightly nutty flavor.
Orange or pineapple juice.

White Burgundy Dry French wine.
White grape juice diluted with white wine vinegar.

White wine Sweet or dry wine.
Chicken broth or stock, diluted white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, white grape juice diluted with white wine vinegar, ginger ale, canned mushroom liquid, water. For marinades, substitute 1/4 cup vinegar plus 1 Tbsp sugar plus 1/4 cup water.