Cooking with Alcohol

Using alcohol in cooking — a splash of wine in a risotto, a glug of beer in a stew, brandy in a sauce — is safe during pregnancy. When alcohol is heated during cooking, the ethanol (the part that intoxicates) evaporates. The key variable is how long and at what heat the food is cooked. A brief flambé evaporates around 75% of the alcohol; a dish simmered for 30 minutes loses around 65%; a long braise or casserole cooked for an hour or more loses 75–90%. In any case, the amount of alcohol used in cooking is usually small to begin with, and after cooking the residual amount is negligible — far below any threshold of concern. The flavour compounds in wine, beer, or spirits remain after the alcohol has evaporated, which is why wine-based sauces, beer batters, and brandy creams taste distinctive without carrying any intoxicating effect. This is entirely different from drinking alcohol during pregnancy, which should be avoided throughout. If you would rather not cook with alcohol at all, good substitutes include: non-alcoholic wine (for risotto and wine-based sauces), apple juice or cider vinegar (for pork and chicken dishes), or stock (for braises). These substitutes work well in most recipes.