The Best Alcohol-Free Substitute For Cooking Bourbon

The darling of whiskey varieties, famously aged for years in charred oak barrels, bourbon can add a world of complexity and sweetness to countless recipes. Whether you bake it into a warmly spiced pumpkin pie or reduce it into a pleasantly sticky sauce for bourbon chicken, there's no denying that the deeply flavored spirit can serve as a secret weapon in the kitchen. But let's be real: Good bourbon is not cheap, and you may be seeking a more affordable or even non-alcoholic substitute for your next homemade barbecue sauce.

One of the most solid bourbon substitutes happens to be a perplexing one: Apple cider vinegar mixed with peach nectar. Apple cider vinegar provides a cuttingly acidic kick, while peach nectar brings a sweet punch. As the two ingredients cook over time, their flavors reduce and intensify, mimicking the sought-after complexity, acidity, and sweetness that bourbon brings to the table. It's weird — but it works.

The vinegar-nectar combination is a particularly fitting substitute when it comes to recipes that could benefit from a hint of fruitiness. Consider this bourbon-chile barbecue sauce, which incorporates a fiery chopped Thai chili, a glug of honey, and peach preserves. To substitute the recipe's 1/4 cup of bourbon, try mixing two tablespoons each of good apple cider vinegar and peach nectar.

Be sure to opt for nectar, rather than natural peach juice — nectar is thicker and usually sweetened, supplying the appropriate level of sugar. And the proportions can be a choose-your-own-adventure kind of thing, depending on your personal taste. If you prefer a final product that's sweeter, add more nectar than vinegar. Try the reverse if you're looking for a more savory take. The peach nectar is a bonus for this particular recipe: It accompanies and strengthens the recipe's already-existent scoop of peach preserves.

Mix in your bourbon substitute, allowing the ingredients to simmer and thicken as you stir until you've reached the desired consistency. You'll be left with a decadent barbecue sauce that incorporates a similar caramelized sweetness to that of a reduced bourbon. Try a similar approach by adding the vinegar-nectar combination to a brown sugar glaze for ham, balanced with mustard and molasses. Or, mix the vinegar-nectar concoction into a marinade for maple "bourbon" steak tips.