Where is the cheapest place to get booze for cooking?

MrsE_2

Where is the cheapest place to get booze for cooking?

Lidl?

Recipes often call for run, brandy, whiskey, ect

I do buy wine & sherry for cooking.

I've just had a thought I guess I could use rum essence for recipes requiring rum?

They only do a rum essence don't they?
I haven't seen a sheet one for years?

Gingernutmeg

Personally I wouldn't use rum essence, I think it tastes horrible and really synthetic. I don't see the point of spending a lot of money on decent baking ingredients (butter etc isn't cheap) and then skimping on the flavourings. Not too keen on eating petrochemicals either ... I think for baking, you can get away with 'cheaper' booze though, and it's not as if it goes off. Lidl is fairly cheap for booze, or Aldi. The best time to buy it though is around Christmas time, as that's when they do all of the offers. Surprisingly, M&S can be quite cheap too, when they've got offers on. I also look out for miniatures - I don't often bake with booze so although minitures are more expensive overall it's 'cheaper' in the short term, IYSWIM.

MrsE_2

Gingernutmeg wrote: »

Personally I wouldn't use rum essence, I think it tastes horrible and really synthetic. I don't see the point of spending a lot of money on decent baking ingredients (butter etc isn't cheap) and then skimping on the flavourings. Not too keen on eating petrochemicals either ... I think for baking, you can get away with 'cheaper' booze though, and it's not as if it goes off. Lidl is fairly cheap for booze, or Aldi. The best time to buy it though is around Christmas time, as that's when they do all of the offers. Surprisingly, M&S can be quite cheap too, when they've got offers on. I also look out for miniatures - I don't often bake with booze so although minitures are more expensive overall it's 'cheaper' in the short term, IYSWIM.

I never thought of essenses as having petrochemicals/nasties in them:eek:
I just thought of them as a non alcholic way of getting the flavouring.

I guess it keeps for ages (years?), but does it keep so long opened?
I have a huge bottle of Smirnoff on the wine rack that we were given a few years ago & it looks fine, but its sealed.

Enterprise_1701C

Spirits tend to keep perfectly welll opened, so long as they are stored OK. some of the ones we have are so powerful we very rarely go anywhere near them (travels to Jamaica and Greece come to mind!!), but they are still OK.

SilverBird_2

As a tactful suggestion, don't use any alcohol for cooking that you wouldn't be happy drinking yourself!

geordie_joe

MrsE wrote: »

I never thought of essenses as having petrochemicals/nasties in them:eek:

They don't, essences are made from the real thing, usually a distillation or concentration.

It's flavouring that is man-made from chemicals.

Thriftybynature

Why not go to your local pub? :beer: It's obviously not as cheap in the long run as buying a bottle but it's a lot cheaper than shelling out for a bottle of something that will sit at the back of the cupboard! I only use rum once a year in my xmas pud and always get it this way, and it's a nice tradition.

I ask friends to bring me back a bottle of metaxa brandy if they are going to Greece (and not planning on bringing any booze back themselves). The only trouble is that we dip into it now and then, so not much of it goes in the cooking.....

Gingernutmeg

geordie_joe wrote: »

They don't, essences are made from the real thing, usually a distillation or concentration.

It's flavouring that is man-made from chemicals.

Flavourings are also generally sold as essences, and are generally made from chemicals. Extracts are made from the real thing, which is why there's usually such a massive difference in prices between essences and extracts - you can pick up a small bottle of vanilla essence for less than £1, but a similarly sized bottle of vanilla extract is likely to set you back over £5.

MrsE_2

Gingernutmeg wrote: »

you can pick up a small bottle of vanilla essence for less than £1, but a similarly sized bottle of vanilla extract is likely to set you back over £5.

I always buy vanilla extract:)

Thriftybynature

Just found this by chance! Voucher for free dram of whisky
http://www.bells.co.uk/

Could that BE any more ms?!