Whiskey substitutes

The default choice. Made mostly from corn and aged in new charred oak, so it is sweeter, rounder and more vanilla-forward than any other whiskey.

Best for

barbecue sauce, glazes for ham and ribs, whiskey cake, bread pudding, pecan pie, old fashioneds

Bourbon leans sweet, so a barbecue sauce made with it tastes a touch more caramel-heavy than one made with rye or Irish whiskey. If your recipe already carries brown sugar and molasses, pull the sugar back slightly. In desserts, bourbon is usually the best-tasting choice of any whiskey.

Drier and spicier, with a distinct black-pepper and baking-spice bite from the rye grain.

Best for

cocktails such as manhattans and sazeracs, savoury glazes, mustard sauces, steak pan sauces, onion gravy

In a cocktail, rye makes a sharper, more angular drink than bourbon, which is why bartenders treat them as different ingredients. In cooking, that peppery dryness is an asset in a savoury glaze and a slight distraction in a sweet dessert, where it can read as faintly medicinal against cream or custard.

Both are lighter and smoother, generally without the sweetness of bourbon or the pepper of rye.

Best for

coffee drinks, cream sauces, chocolate desserts, fruitcake, custards, glazes

Irish whiskey is gentle and slightly fruity, which makes it a good fit for cream and coffee. With Scotch, check whether it is peated: an unpeated Speyside behaves like a light bourbon, whereas an Islay bottle carries powerful iodine and smoke that will dominate anything sweet. If smoke is what you want, that is a feature; in a whiskey cake it is a disaster.

Not a whiskey, but it hits the same register of caramel, vanilla and barrel depth, and it is often already in the cupboard.

Best for

barbecue sauce, ham glaze, bread pudding, banana desserts, fruitcake, marinades

Rum is noticeably sweeter and more molasses-driven, so a rib glaze made with it comes out darker, stickier and less dry. It suits pork and sweet dishes especially well. It is a weaker choice in a cocktail that depends on whiskey's dryness, such as a manhattan.

Grape-based, oak-aged, and long used for the same jobs in European cooking.

Best for

pan sauces, flambe, cream sauces, fruit desserts, custards, pate

Brandy tastes of dried grape and apricot rather than grain and char, so a steak sauce made with it is fruitier and more perfumed, less toasty. It works especially well with cream and with anything containing fruit.

The alcohol-free version, and honestly an approximation: it covers the sweet oaky notes but not the spirit's heat or bite.

Best for

alcohol-free cooking, barbecue sauce, glazes, marinades, baking, family meals

Strongly brewed black tea is the better base for savoury dishes because its tannins mimic the slight drying grip of oak-aged spirit, while apple cider suits pork and sweet glazes. Add the vanilla off the heat. Use liquid smoke by the drop, since a quarter teaspoon can wreck a whole pot. Whiskey extract, sold near vanilla extract, is another option at about half a teaspoon per tablespoon of whiskey, topped up with water.