How To Flambé With Whiskey Without Setting Off The Fire Alarm

Whiskey has a beautiful blend of flavors: Woody, spicy, a little sweet with some bitterness or herbaceousness, depending on what style you're going for. There are some great hacks for better tasting whiskey (you need the right glassware, for example, and maybe a little hit of bitters). There are good deals to be had on whiskey, which are perfect for sipping, but they are also ideal in a flambé — you just need to know how to do it right so it won't flame up or smoke out your kitchen.

A whiskey flambé may seem obvious in sweet desserts, but it also works beautifully in savory dishes. To get your whiskey flambé just right, without burning down the kitchen, you'll need to start with a good pan — use something with a long handle, so the flames won't be biting at your hands. It's best not to pour directly from the bottle, or the flame can follow the liquor up the stream, causing a huge fire issue.

Whether with a dessert or a savory dish, bourbon may be the best choice when you want to add some sweetness while Irish whiskey or a Scotch adds more bitterness and earthy undertones. Regardless, you'll want something between about 40% and 60% alcohol (80 to 120 proof) to ensure there is sufficient alcohol to flame up. If the alcohol content is too low, it could still add some nice flavor, but it may not fully flame to burn off the alcohol. 

When you're making a flambé, you want the alcohol to mostly burn off, just leaving the (usually) barrel-aged flavor behind. A quick whiskey flambé will add caramelization to your dish, giving it complexity — whether sweet or savory — that herbs and spices can't add alone. You can skip the rum and add some whiskey to your bananas foster, use it with a pan-seared steak, sauteed shrimp, or add some nice caramel undertones to some pan-fried green beans.

Beyond the long handle, it's best to remove the pan from the stove's flame and keep it away from the stove hood so the flame isn't licking at your ceiling. You should remove the hot cooking pan, and place it on a heat-safe surface. Then, pour your whiskey over it (from a regular glass, rather than the bottle). Next, use a long lighter or matchstick to light the whiskey as it sizzles; this will avoid serious accidents. If there still is an unexpected flame-up, keep a heat-safe pan cover — metal, glass, or ceramic — nearby to place on the pan and cut the oxygen to tamp down the flame. The flame should burn out quickly on its own, evaporating the alcohol and leaving some deep and tasty whiskey flavor behind. Try it with your favorite bourbon or grab a mini sampler bottle or two to give some different whiskey flavors a try.