Cocktails with Beef bouillon/Beef consommé
Beef bouillon is a broth simmered from beef; beef consommé is the same broth clarified until clear.
How it's used
It brings salt and a meaty depth few bar liquids have. Taste before you season: bouillon is salty and cubes are saltier. For a cold drink, chill it; a good consommé that has set to a jelly in the fridge loosens with gentle warming. Bloody Mary seasonings suit it; the bouillon is what separates a Bull Shot from a Bloody Mary. A Bull Shot can also be served hot.
Substitutes for Beef bouillon/Beef consommé
Canned or boxed broth
Swaps straight in. It is thinner and cloudier than clarified consommé with gelatin. Be sure to salt to taste if using an unsalted version.
Condensed consommé
Dilute it with an equal amount of water. The undiluted concentrate is twice as salty and richer, so skip any other salt.
Bouillon cube
Make it up as the package directs. It carries lots of salt, and often onion and garlic. Taste before adding any more salt.
Storage
Once opened or made, keep it in the fridge and use it within a couple of days, or freeze it in portions. Nothing preserves it, and it can go off without any obvious sign.
