how do you remove the alcohol in bourbon but keep the taste????

[wpbrink]

is there a way to remove the alcohol from the bourbon so it can be served with zero alcohol????? catering service by friend and he has to be able to prove or remove the alcohol before serving.........what is the correct way to boil it off but still have the taste???? or is there artificial bourbon flavoring out there for sale?????

[MarkEdwards]

is there a way to remove the alcohol from the bourbon so it can be served with zero alcohol????? catering service by friend and he has to be able to prove or remove the alcohol before serving.........what is the correct way to boil it off but still have the taste???? or is there artificial bourbon flavoring out there for sale?????

I would think that the mere act of cooking with bourbon would boil off the alcohol, although, according to this article:

http://www.ochef.com/165.htm

I may be wrong.

[spun_cookie]

In reality, you cannot remove the alc and keep the same flavor or profile.

Alcohol acts as an aromatic and is part of what makes all alc drinks what they are.

[barturtle]

Why would they have to do that? Religious reasons? Regulatory?

[TNbourbon]

And, as we've all discovered when we couldn't resist sampling that bit of bourbon we left on the counter or in the glass overnight uncovered, it often not only isn't the same, it's bad!

[BigRich]

I generally cook mine down like a flambaye (sp?)

[Gillman]

I would think this can be done by simmering off the alcohol. You would be left with water and wood flavouring. But as Timothy said, why do this? Why not just serve, say, Dr. Pepper, which is water, sugar and flavourings which derive I think (some of them) from a tree (barks or other)? That is already a non-alcoholic infusion where tree products form part of the flavouring.

Bourbon isn't bourbon without alcohol of course.

Gary

[cowdery]

A good simmer will eliminate most of the alcohol. You can actually see it coming off the pot at a haze. It doesn't quite look like steam. You will still have a lot of flavor and very little alcohol, certainly too little to cause intoxication, but if you really need zero then maybe you should re-think the recipe.

Philosophically, I've never understood the logic of trying to duplicate the taste of an alcoholic drink without alcohol, any more than trying to duplicate the taste of meat without animal products. It smacks of wanting to have your cake and eat it too.

[ILLfarmboy]

Philosophically, I've never understood the logic of trying to duplicate the taste of an alcoholic drink without alcohol, any more than trying to duplicate the taste of meat without animal products. It smacks of wanting to have your cake and eat it too.

I agree. But I can see the other side, at least when it comes to alcohol. I can't say I always thought that way. I have a good friend who is a Mormon. He is the adventurous sort when it comes to foods and beverages. But his religion frowns on drinking alcohol, in fact it frowns on drinking coffee and tea. (I admit, it blew me away when I learned that last part)

I got the impression from him that it was the tannins as well as the stimulative effect of caffeine they wanted to avoid, since decaffeinated coffee and tea is off limits too.

The commandment to avoid alcohol certainly hasn't hampered his appreciation of BBQ sauce with added bourbon. And it doesn't stop him from nosing every open bottle in my collection. The kid has it in him to be a thoughtful connoisseur of fine whiskeys but.........

I'm sure glad I wasn't born into a religion that limits my appreciation of good whiskey, or certain foods like pork or shellfish.

[BigRich]

Philosophically, I've never understood the logic of trying to duplicate the taste of an alcoholic drink without alcohol, any more than trying to duplicate the taste of meat without animal products. It smacks of wanting to have your cake and eat it too.

I use bourbon in cooking a lot but the only thing I cook off alcohol for is homemade bourbon ice cream. Otherwise the alcohol makes it hard to get a lot of flavor with keeping it from freezing properly. In all other applications I see your point and completely agree.