If used correctly, alcohol can add an incredible depth to a variety of dishes. And with a resurgence in high-quality, small-batch beer, wine, and liqueur, home cooks have easy access to ingredients that will take their dishes to the next level.

Emily and Matt, founders of the food blog Nerds with Knives, go beyond wine and beer and introduce rich flavor profiles with sake, vodka, gin, sherry, brandy, whiskey, bourbon and rum. Though their recipes are up-scale like Pork Tenderloin with Mustard and Whiskey, and Chicken Liver Pate with Brandy and Thyme their no-nonsense approach to cooking is down to earth, refreshingly candid and approachable.

Other recipes include Pinot Noir Caramel, where the pinot adds a sophisticated and slightly tart edge to the sweetness of the caramel; Chicken Roasted with Sake, Scallions and Ginger, where the sake not only adds a mild floral note, but also helps to tenderize the meat; and Wild Mushroom Crostini with Sherry and Ricotta. Emily and Matt stress that this is a match made in heaven, where the nutty notes in a good dry sherry bring out the earthiness you find in wild mushrooms.