Debunking myths #6: Alcohol does NOT evaporate when cooking

Wine in the stew, brandy in the sauce, beer in the casserole...

For generations we have cooked like this without giving it much thought.

Our grandmothers were already doing it when we were little, and we've inherited that custom almost by inertia. The alcohol adds depth, helps to deglaze the pan, and adds an aromatic complexity that's hard to achieve otherwise.

"It's okay, the alcohol evaporates with the heat."

It's one of those unquestionable culinary truths. It's repeated in home kitchens, by Instagram chefs, and in professional cookbooks.

Fire destroys everything. Or so we believe.

However, science has been saying something quite different for decades. As early as 1992, it was demonstrated that a significant portion of the alcohol can survive the cooking process and remain in the dish much longer than we usually imagine.

And yet, more than thirty years later, we still cook with the same ease as always. Perhaps because certain drinks truly transform some dishes. Or perhaps because admitting that such a deeply ingrained idea isn't entirely correct is more uncomfortable than it seems.

What do studies say about cooking with alcohol?

In 1992, a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association analyzed how much alcohol actually remains in food after different cooking methods. The researchers found that alcohol evaporation depends on many factors: cooking time, temperature, the size of the container, and even the surface area of the evaporation.

The result was clear: alcohol rarely disappears completely.

In fact, when alcohol is added to a hot dish and quickly removed from the heat, as happens when deglazing a pan or flambéing, up to 85% of the original alcohol can remain in the food. Even when the dish is cooked for a longer time, the reduction is gradual but incomplete.

According to alcohol retention tables later developed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), after 15 minutes of cooking, about 40% of the initial alcohol still remains, after 30 minutes approximately 35% remains, and after one hour of cooking, about 25% may still be present.

Even in very long preparations, such as stews or sauces that simmer for several hours, evaporation never reaches 100%. After two and a half hours of cooking, around 5% of the originally added alcohol may still remain.

And that changes quite a bit the story we've been hearing all our lives in the kitchen.

So should I avoid adding alcohol to meals?

Not necessarily. The aim of this article is not to discourage you from cooking with wine, beer, or liquor. Alcohol is part of many culinary traditions and, from a gastronomic perspective, greatly enhances the flavors of some dishes.

The important thing is to understand what actually happens when we use it in cooking. As scientific studies show, alcohol doesn't completely disappear during cooking. Knowing this doesn't mean giving up on these culinary techniques, but rather cooking with greater awareness.

It's important to remember that alcohol is not a neutral ingredient from a health perspective. It's a substance with known physiological effects, and its regular or excessive consumption is associated with various risks. That's why modern medical recommendations emphasize that it should not be consumed daily or in large quantities.

In everyday practice, cooking with small amounts of wine or liquor in a recipe occasionally isn't usually a problem for most healthy adults. However, there are situations where it's best to avoid it altogether, even when the dish will be cooking for a long time.

• When a doctor has recommended completely avoiding alcohol due to a specific health problem.
• Also when taking medication that is incompatible with alcohol, something much more common than is usually thought.
• Similarly, it should be completely avoided when the food is going to be consumed by children.
• When alcohol consumption must be avoided for religious reasons.
• When the food is going to be consumed by someone with alcohol addiction problems or in the detoxification phase.

In other words, the message isn't to abandon these recipes, but to better understand what happens in the kitchen. Because, as is often the case with many everyday myths, reality isn't as simple as we've been led to believe.

Below is a brief infographic to better understand this:

FAQs. Frequently asked questions about cooking with alcohol

Does alcohol evaporate completely when we cook with wine, beer, or liquor?

No. Heat reduces the amount of alcohol, but it doesn't always eliminate it completely. The proportion that remains depends on the cooking time, temperature, type of preparation, and the surface area of the pan.

How much alcohol can remain in a dish after cooking it?

A significant amount can remain even after cooking for a considerable time. Classic studies show that the residual percentage decreases gradually, but it doesn't disappear immediately, and in some recipes, it can persist longer than most people realize.

Does flambéing remove alcohol better than slow cooking?

Not necessarily. Although flaming produces a very intense visual impression, it doesn't guarantee that the alcohol will disappear completely. In many cases, a significant amount remains in the food after the process.

Why doesn't alcohol disappear as quickly if it boils before water?

Because in a real recipe, alcohol isn't isolated, but mixed with water, fats, sugars, and other compounds. This mixture modifies its physical behavior and makes evaporation more complex than simply using the boiling point of pure alcohol.

Does cooking with alcohol change the flavor even if there's only a little left?

Yes. Alcohol acts as a solvent for many aromatic molecules and can help extract, transport, and fix certain nuances of the food. That's why some stews, sauces, and casseroles gain depth even when the final amount of alcohol is low.

Is it the same to add alcohol at the beginning as at the end of the recipe?

No. If it's added at the beginning and the dish cooks for a long time, the amount left over is usually less. If it's added at the end or heated for only a few minutes, a larger proportion is more likely to remain in the food.

In what cases is it advisable to completely avoid cooking with alcohol?

It is advisable to avoid it when a doctor has indicated not to consume any alcohol, when taking drugs incompatible with it, when the food is going to be consumed by children, or when there are religious reasons to exclude it completely.

Does the type of container affect the amount of alcohol that remains?

Yes. A wide, uncovered container promotes evaporation more than a narrow or covered one. The surface area in contact with the air and the possibility of steam escaping significantly alter the alcohol loss during cooking.

Are there differences between cooking with wine, beer, or strong spirits?

Yes. Not only does the initial alcohol content change, but also the aromatic composition of each beverage. A wine, a beer, or a spirit each have distinct chemical profiles, and this influences both the final flavor and the amount of alcohol that remains.

Does current scientific evidence still support the idea that residual alcohol in food can be relevant?

Yes. Subsequent research and reference tables used in nutrition and food safety continue to support the idea that residual alcohol can be significant depending on the cooking technique used, so it should not be automatically assumed that cooking eliminates it completely.

References

Augustin, J., Augustin, E., Cutrufelli, R. L., Hagen, S. R., & Teitzel, C. (1992). Alcohol retention in food preparation. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 92(4), 486–488.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. (2007). USDA table of nutrient retention factors, release 6. USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory. https://www.ars.usda.gov