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Penne alla vodka -

A delicious pasta dish symbolic of Italian-American cuisine, penne alla vodka combines penne pasta with heavy cream, crushed tomatoes, onions, garlic, and a generous shot of Polish vodka. Add sausage slices for a meatier finish.

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Sake-steamed halibut -

Sake, sometimes referred to as Japanese rice wine, is paired with almost anything from the obvious sushi to the less obvious cheese. But did you know it's also great to cook with? Halibut, a wonderfully light and fragrant fish, soaks up sake’s earthy, floral flavors. Serve it with fresh vegetables.

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Red wine spaghetti -

You'll need two bottles of good dry red wine for this recipe–a Chianti perhaps, or a Merlot. Fry some garlic in olive oil and unsalted butter. Stir in red pepper flakes and cook until garlic is browned. Add the wine and reduce the mixture, around 25 minutes and season with salt. Add the sauce to cooked pasta and sprinkle with heaps of Parmesan cheese.

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Mussels in garlic and white wine -

A classic seafood dish, and so easy to prepare! The sauce is key—homemade garlic butter flavored with herbs and smoked paprika. Parsley, shallot, and tarragon can all be used while cooking, and choose a good, fragrant Chardonnay too.

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Tequila-glazed grilled chicken thighs -

Tequila packs a sweet punch when combined with honey, pineapple juice, and lime juice, and provides a zesty glaze that perfectly balances spicy chicken.

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Pan-seared fillet mignon -

The secret to cooking filet mignon in a red wine and balsamic reduction is the thickness of the sauce. Too thin and it lacks any sort of consistency. The trick is to add a little brown sugar to help caramelize it. This will also sweeten things up a bit.

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Beef bourguignon -

This hearty beef stew is a well-known French recipe the name of which probably refers to the use of red Burgundy wine and not the region itself. The meat is generally accompanied with boiled potatoes or pasta.

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Irish apple tart -

This St. Patrick's Day treat is simply too good to sample on just one day of the year. Go for an Irish single-malt whiskey when making the apple filling. Along with large wedges of apple, add a good healthy splash of the spirit to butter, brown sugar, and a cinnamon stick.

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Braised meatballs in red wine gravy -

A heartwarming comfort food dish, braised tender beef meatballs cooked in a full-bodied red wine sauce rev up the taste buds like a runaway muscle car. Add plenty of herbs—parsley, dried thyme, etc.—and season liberally with salt and black pepper. Serve on a bed of mashed potatoes with spinach garnished with Gruyère cheese.

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Crab linguine with chili and parsley -

You only need a few splashes of white wine, a Sauvignon Blanc perhaps, to create this restaurant-style dish that takes a handful of other quality ingredients to make. If you really want the dish to shine, combine brown crabmeat with white crabmeat.

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Sherry potatoes -

Sherry can be used creatively in many dishes, but why not experiment first by making this simple side dish? Use russet or Yukon gold potatoes and arrange seasoned with salt and pepper in a baking pan. Pour in melted butter and a dry sherry, and bake for 40 minutes or so. Serve with chopped fresh parsley.

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Apple brandy glazed pork tenderloin -

Alcohol helps make a good glaze great. Here, brandy pairs up with apple cider, fresh thyme, a smudge of Dijon mustard, and a knob of butter to create a sweet and spirited glaze that’s brushed over the pork during roasting.

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Partridge with wine and cinnamon -

This hearty and robust game food option makes a wonderful winter dish. The rich flavors are achieved by combining red wine with tomato purée, honey, a concentrated chicken stock, and a handful of Kalamata olives.

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Summer berry trifle -

The freshest raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries are the principal ingredients of this classic summer dessert. You can use Swiss roll as a base suitably soaked in sherry. Combine with creamy custard topped with flaked almonds.

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Bourbon balls -

Chocolate cookie crumbs, pecan nut, confectioners' sugar, a dab of honey, a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder, and a good bourbon or rum is all you need to make terrific bourbon balls.

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Beer mac 'n' cheese -

Raise your glass to this inspired take on classic macaroni cheese. The sauce includes grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese stirred in with a light and golden pale ale. Melt some spinach for healthy greenery.

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Stout-braised steak -

A great excuse to add Guinness to the mix, this tasty option is best made using shin of beef, a flavorsome cut that ends up wonderfully tender when slow cooked. Horseradish and shallots lend the dish a pleasant edge.

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Beer tiramisu -

What? You're kidding! Beer lovers with a sweet tooth will love this: a twist on the tiramisu that combines beer alongside layers of sponge and cream. Use a light but strong ale for taste.

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Beef and beer pie -

A good old belly filler, beef and beer pie is best made with suet pastry. Ingredients include onion, celery, and a few springs of thyme. Dark ale or beer is ideal for dark and rich gravy, with a hint of Worcestershire sauce for good measure.

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Sake-marinated beef ribs -

An overnight chilled marinade works miracles on most meat, and beef ribs suffused with sake is an inspired preparation. Add salt, pepper, sugar, garlic, and soy sauce for enhanced results. Serve with short-grain rice.

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Tangerine beef -

You need to marinade the steak in tangerine juice, soy sauce, and a medium-sweet sherry overnight to make this flavor-packed dish. Garlic, sesame oil and chili flakes are also used. Deep-fry the meat.

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Vodka-spiked watermelon -

Commonly referred to as drunken watermelon, this mouthwatering dessert is made by simply pouring a half-bottle of quality vodka into a whole watermelon and letting it slowly seep into the fruit. A boozy summer treat if ever there was one!

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Scallops with mushroom and white wine -

This timeless seafood classic is flavored using a combination of potato, grated nutmeg, shallots, crème fraîche, and lemon juice, among other base ingredients. A Pinot Grigio is your go-to white wine due to its crispness and neutral flavor.

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Chicken marsala -

Originating in 19^th-century Sicily and a variation of traditional scaloppini dishes, chicken marsala is made with tender chicken breasts and Marsala wine, a fortified wine that is reduced to a syrup-like consistency during cooking while adding garlic to produce a rich, smooth sauce.

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Chorizo flambéed with rum -

This zippy appetizer is simply delicious! Lightly grill the sliced pieces of chorizo before placing in an earthenware bowl and serve flambéed in rum.

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Cherries jubilee -

Cherries soaked in liqueur, typically German kirschwasser, and flambéed creates the sauce that is drizzled over vanilla ice-cream to produce a dessert originally made for Queen Victoria during her Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

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Penne alla moscovita -

A variation on the traditional penne pasta and vodka dish, this Moscow-style plate is made with smoked salmon, cream, caviar or shrimp, and, of course, Russian vodka.

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Bananas Foster -

The combination of bananas with cream is a tasty dessert option in itself. But this treat is known for the sauce made from butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and dark rum, and ignited as a flambée before serving. Originating in 1950's New Orleans, it's named for Richard Foster, chairman of the New Orleans Crime Commission.

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Coq au vin -

A full-bodied red Burgundy wine is typically used to create coq au vin, a traditional French dish the base ingredients of which include chicken, smoked bacon, and mushrooms. The addition of wine helps develop the rich, savory flavors.

See also: How to wine taste like a pro.

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