Fondue is a dish made with cheese that lots of people are likely familiar with thanks to how popular it’s become over the years. It originated in Switzerland and became an internationally popular dish sometime after.
It’s just a type of melted cheese dish which can be used as a dip for a number of many different things, especially specific types of bread. It is easy to make as well; given that you’ve got all the right ingredients by your side. This includes all the usual ingredients most are likely familiar with such as kirsch.
Kirsch is a type of brandy that is known for its inclusion in fondue. The colourless and clear beverage is delicious on its own and makes fondue more delicious as well. But despite all of this it isn’t exactly a necessity in traditional fondue recipes.
That’s because, like most other things, there are possible alternatives for it which can be used while making the popular melted cheese. Here is our list for some of the most recommended kirsch substitutes in fondue which are worth trying out if you can’t find the type of brandy or simply wish to use something else.
Kirsch Substitutes in Fondue
- Brandy
Since kirsch itself is a type of brandy, one of the most obvious alternatives for it, along with one of the best ones, is brandy itself. The best part about this specific substitute for kirsch is that there are so many different types of it available out there which are all viable options in their own way.
Our only recommendation here is that users avoid the sweeter flavours, as these will mess with the overall taste of the fondue. Any of the less sweet or even the sharper/bitter ones are great options though.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that some types of brandy have a very high amount of alcohol in them, such as traditional brandy itself. That’s why doing some research to get the perfect type of the alcoholic beverage for your fondue is important.
There’s not much to worry about if the high alcohol by volume percentage is not a problem. But for those that wish to avoid doing so, we recommend to only try out the brandy types which are best suited to their own preferences.
- Cognac
Cognac is also a good option worth trying out if you’re unable to find any kirsch or simply don’t wish to add it to the fondue you’re preparing. The beverage gets its name from the region of Cognac in France, from where it apparently originated and became as popular as it has now. Much like kirsch it is technically a type of brandy with many unique qualities to it, but also some qualities which are very similar to that of kirsch.
Cognac also has a fairly decent alcohol by volume ratio, being 40% alcohol. That is something we recommend keeping in mind while adding it to your fondue as a replacement for kirsch if you decide to go with this option. Another good thing about cognac in particular is that it’s certainly quite popular in most regions of the world where alcohol is commonly consumed. As a result, getting it from local stores or from online ones shouldn’t be much of a problem depending on where users live.
- Fruit Beer
Fruit beer is a great option for just about anyone that doesn’t want to add kirsch to their fondue looking for a good alternative. This is perhaps the most commonly found substitute listed so far, since fruit beer is available just about anywhere alcohol is common. These are cheaper options too most of the time, and they taste just as great in fondue as any other option so worrying about taste as a result of the low price isn’t something to worry about either.
Apart from them being similar to kirsch in some ways and also being quite common, there’s the added fact that there are lots of flavours when it comes to this specific option too. Cherry fruit beers tend to work best in fondue thanks to them being the most similar to kirsch.