Alcohol isn’t just for mixing cocktails with. It is a useful addition to your pantry as drinks such as red wine, white wine, sherry, brandy, whiskey, and even vodka are used in many cooking recipes.
They add a distinctive flavor and even a touch of drama (such as when you flambe a dessert). We know that it is safe to use alcohol in oven-cooked recipes such as casseroles but is it safe to put it into the microwave?
Keep reading and we will enlighten you!
Can You Microwave Alcohol?
The answer is yes and no!
• No
Just like other liquors, alcohol is highly flammable, which means that it is best that you avoid warming it up in the microwave oven if it has not been mixed with other ingredients. For example, don’t put a cupful of brandy into the microwave on High power.
This is because alcohol contains weak hydrocarbon chemical compounds, making it highly volatile and likely to release energy whenever it is put under stress, such as heat.
Microwaves tend to project heat waves from different angles, so you cannot really adjust the placement of alcohol to ensure even heating. This means that there is no safe way to microwave the substance in its liquid form.
• Yes
If the alcohol has already been added to a dish, like brandy custard or fruitcake soaked in whiskey, it is safe to microwave. The alcohol will not be as flammable in this form.
Safer Ways To Heat Alcohol
Now that you know the answer to “Can you microwave alcohol? Is it safe?” we can tell you about a few better ways to warm it up.
1. First add the alcohol to the dish such as add red wine to the stew. Stir it to thoroughly blend it. Now you can microwave the dish without it being a fire hazard.
2. If you are making hot alcoholic beverages such as gluhwein (spiced/mulled wine), first mix all the other components into the alcohol.
That is, mix a bottle of your chosen red wine with some honey, orange/lemon peel, cinnamon, cloves, and star anise in a big heatproof bowl. Microwave it on a High setting for around four minutes. It should be hot but not boiling.
Remove it from the microwave and allow it to steep for about ten minutes. To serve it, gently stir in about half a cup of brandy and ladle the hot wine into mugs.
Garnish it with cinnamon sticks and orange peel. It is safe to reheat the individual mugs on High for about 30 seconds.
3. If you are making savory dishes with alcohol such as chicken in red wine (coq au vin), you can go ahead and make the dish as normal, using the microwave to heat it before serving.
Because the wine is mixed with the other ingredients, it will be more stable and will not be a hazard.
What Not To Microwave
1. Whiskey
You should not microwave neat whiskey, as it should be enjoyed at room temperature. Some people enjoy it on ice. This is because when you heat whiskey, it results in flavor changes.
Usually, whiskey has wood, vanilla, caramel, and honey notes, which are lost when it’s heated.
2. Brandy
It is possible to microwave brandy, but it’s only suitable for slight warming up on a defrost setting. Never heat it on High power.
Still, you need to remember that it’s not an accepted practice all around the world because heating weakens the overall flavor of the drink. To illustrate, slight overheating of alcohol will lead to a flat and bitter flavor, which is why it’s not suggested.
It is better to warm the serving glass or use the warmth of your hands around the glass to release the aromas as you sip.
3. Vodka
Vodka has a very high alcohol content so it should never be microwaved neat.
4. Baileys
No, you should not microwave Baileys because it has a high alcohol content and can easily flare up. However, if you are adding some to baked puddings, once it has soaked in, it will be safe to microwave.
Does heating alcohol cause it to evaporate?
Some people believe that heating alcohol, whether in the microwave, oven, or stovetop, will cause it to evaporate, rendering the dish non-alcoholic. This isn’t strictly true.
Alcohol does boil and therefore evaporate at a lower temperature than water ¬- around 78 degrees Celcius – but time also plays a role.
So, if you quickly flambe some crepes, more alcohol will be retained than in a stew made with red wine and cooked in the oven for a few hours. Cooked food retains between 5 and 85 percent of its added alcohol, and that includes microwaving.
Bottom Line
To answer the original question, it is not safe to microwave alcohol that has not been mixed with other ingredients as it poses a fire hazard.