Cooking with alcohol - what do you use?

The Sweeper

When you're cooking with wine, what do you use?

This came up in conversation, eh, elsewhere.

I'll always use a glass of what I'm drinking in my cooking. I don't deliberatley buy cheaper alcohol for cooking with, because I find that if you use nasty tasting stuff in your cooking, it does nothing for the flavour of the final dish. I mean, if I'm using a whole organic chicken and a bunch of organic vegetables making poule au pot, I'm not going to chuck half a bottle of sharp white wine with a paint stripper edge in there and hope for the best.

I also am of the opinion that the flavours in the drink complement the food - I like to use a tannin-heavy red wine in italian beef dishes, for instance. (I'm not being a drink snob - it the tannin-heavy red wine is £3.99 then brilliant - but I won't buy a bottle of £3.99 wine specifically to cook with).

What are your view on it?

Blub2k4

I tend to use aldi wines for cooking, normally 3.99-4.99, anything better is a waste really.
Also Aldi sherries and ports, nothing branded, I dont see the point.
I knew a few cooks in my time who drank kitchen wine all day at the job and never complained, was mostly from soup cups mind and secreted by the sauces, not in plain view. I'm so glad I got out of that profession
I dont know what the exact point was there....

CJhaughey

For fish Noilly prat is hard to beat, it has a unique flavour that really enhances seafood sauces.
for other game like rabbits I just use ordinary red wine nothing fancy.

The Hill Billy

I have to say that I'm not too keep on the whole alcohol in food malarky - & by Jebus! I like my alcohol.

However, I'll make the following exceptions:

Guinness in a Beef Stew.
Cider in a Coddle.
Dry Vermouth in a sauce for fried flat fish.