Cook With Everclear This Thanksgiving

Turkey is the star of most Thanksgiving spreads, with a supporting cast of side dishes such as mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce. And then there’s the pumpkin pie. With the holiday fast approaching, preparing a memorable meal can be a daunting task, especially if you’re hosting. Fortunately, Everclear grain alcohol is here to provide ideas and inspiration for your Thanksgiving menu that will have your guests clamoring for second helpings.

Including Everclear in your Thanksgiving Day recipes magnifies the flavor of what you’re cooking, adding more aroma, flavor and depth to your food. That’s because Everclear provides a blank canvas that lets your imagination run wild. The clean palette of this American-made, 190-proof grain alcohol encourages you to unleash your creativity and concoct a range of creations in the kitchen and beyond.

Marigold Sweets Founder’s Take on Cooking with Everclear

Everclear has partnered with Vanessa Dora Lavorato, founder of cannabis confectionary company Marigold Sweets. We caught up with her about planning an epic feast with Thanksgiving classics and why she uses Everclear to elevate recipes, including meats, sauces, desserts, preserves, glazes and even pie crust.

“My go-to Everclear holiday recipes use the neutral grain alcohol to deglaze the turkey pan for gravy, bring pie dough together for a flakier crust, and bring out the tartness of cranberry sauce,” says Lavorato who’s spent years improving homemade liqueurs, cannabis tinctures and vanilla extract with the spirit.

She says Everclear opens the alcohol-soluble flavors in food; helps prevent gluten in pastries; lightens fried foods; and creates easy extracts.

“I started adding a splash of Everclear to recipes when I learned about the chemical purpose of cooking with alcohol,” Lavorato said. “Some flavor compounds, like those found in tomatoes, are alcohol-soluble. The neutrality of Everclear allows me to amplify the flavors already in a recipe, or add my own flavorful creations to a dish.”

Everclear improves your food by bonding with fat and water molecules when used correctly. As with any liquid, the higher the alcohol content, the better its ability to extract flavor. With up to 190-proof and a neutral flavor profile, Everclear is the perfect culinary partner.

“There’s more to cooking with alcohol than boozy concoctions; alcohol plays a role in how we taste food. I like to cook with Everclear because it gives me limitless options for bringing original flavors to a dish.”

As a cannabis chef, Lavorato also uses Everclear to make cannabis-infused recipes and tinctures and believes every edibles maker needs Everclear in their kitchen.

“I use a whipped cream canister and nitrous because the extraction occurs faster and more effectively than a long steep,” she said. “I also like to dissolve decarboxylated hash or distillate in Everclear to homogenize the dose throughout the recipe.”

Use Everclear to Amplify Your Thanksgiving Menu

Read on to learn more about how Lavorato accentuates some Thanksgiving menu classics with Everclear to create a delicious meal for your nearest and dearest.

Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is an integral part of every holiday feast. It provides a vibrant pop of color on the Thanksgiving table. It’s also fantastic in those leftover turkey sandwiches you’ll be eating for the next week. In this cranberry sauce recipe, Everclear softens the berries, giving the ideal balance of sweet and sour flavors.

Gravy

In this delicious gravy recipe, Everclear is used to deglaze the turkey roasting pan and incorporate all the delicious flavors from the pan into the gravy, creating a new family favorite that’s silky smooth and flavorful.

Flaky Pastry for Perfect Pies

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a generous slice of pumpkin pie. Make flaky pie effortlessly by infusing your crust recipe with Everclear. Everclear helps prevent gluten formation, which can toughen the dough.

Light and Fluffy Fillable Donuts

No matter what you call them, traditional Polish pastries known as paczki are hard to resist. A small amount of Everclear keeps the dough airy and aids in their rapid, oil-free frying for the ideal, light-as-air texture.

If you’re planning to cook with Everclear over the holidays, please make sure you enjoy responsibly. Happy Thanksgiving!