Spirits

Spirits are alcoholic drinks made by distilling a fermented liquid, such as grain, fruit or sugar cane. Vodka, whisky, rum, gin and brandy are all spirits.

Yes. A splash of brandy or whisky can flavour a pan sauce, while rum or brandy works well in fruit cake and pudding. Add spirits to a hot pan away from the flame; they can catch fire.

Not completely: simmering a sauce for a few minutes leaves more alcohol than cooking it for a long time. Adding spirits without heating them, as in a trifle or cocktail, leaves the alcohol in the dish.

Keep the bottle tightly closed, upright and away from heat and direct sunlight. Spirits do not need refrigerating, but air in a partly empty bottle can gradually dull the flavour.

For a cake or pudding, use fruit juice, strong tea or a little extra extract for flavour; in a savoury sauce, use stock or water. The substitute will not reproduce the alcoholic warmth of spirits.

Whisky pairs naturally with smoked salmon and rich puddings, while brandy is often used with fruit and chocolate desserts. Rum complements banana and pineapple, and gin works well with citrus and savoury herbs.

Vodka is one kind of spirit, usually distilled to have a relatively neutral flavour. Other spirits, such as whisky, gin and brandy, are recognisable by flavours from their ingredients, production or ageing.