Cocktails with Worcestershire sauce
Worcestershire sauce is a fermented, vinegar-based condiment with a deep savory (umami) punch, best known in cocktails as a Bloody Mary seasoning.
How it's used
A few dashes add a savory depth that nothing else on the bar provides: fermented, salty, sour and sweet at once. It is much of why a Bloody Mary tastes like more than tomato juice and vodka. Classic Worcestershire contains anchovies, so tell vegetarians and any guest with a fish allergy.
Substitutes for Worcestershire sauce
Vegan Worcestershire
An excellent swap dash for dash. It brings the tamarind, vinegar and spice without the anchovies.
Dressed soy sauce
It is about four times as salty, so use about a quarter of the dashes. It lacks the tamarind's sourness, so add a little lemon juice or a few drops of balsamic vinegar.
Leave it out
Where a recipe marks it optional, it can simply be skipped.
Description
The umami comes from fermented anchovies, with tamarind and molasses for sourness and sweetness.
Storage
Sealed at room temperature it keeps for years and is fine in the fridge once open. Salt and vinegar do the preserving, so time changes the aroma and not the safety.
