Whiskey is a drink that features in many drinkers’ collections. If you’re a connoisseur, you might have bottles of all ages from around the world. It can differ significantly, from cheap and cheerful to expensive, top-shelf liquor. Anyone who likes a glass now and then is sure to have at least one bottle at any given time. But drinking isn’t all it’s good for. There are other uses for a bottle of whiskey, from cooking to surviving out in the wild. Keep reading to find out what else this indomitable spirit could do for you.

Drinking – Of course, the primary function of whiskey is as a drink. But for many whiskey lovers, there’s a lot more to drinking it than just pouring a glass and tossing it back. There’s a science to whiskey drinking according to some people. Everyone has their own beliefs in the right way to drink a particular whiskey. Some should be mixed with water, like single malt Scotch. Others should be served on the rocks or go well with a mixer. You can turn whiskey drinking into an art and a hobby. If you want to get enthusiastic about it, perhaps visit some distilleries.

Cooking and Baking – When you’re not drinking your whiskey, it makes an excellent ingredient for anything from barbecue sauce to cake. It can be a fantastic, full flavor to add to both savory and sweet foods. It’s a particularly tasty ingredient to add to sauces and marinades, especially if you use a bourbon. If you bake, whiskey is delicious in frosting, cake batter or even in bread. It’s an essential feature in the traditional Scottish dessert of cranachan. And you could put it in marmalade, apple pies or Christmas cake too.

Gift-giving – The idea of giving whiskey away might fill you with horror, but you can always buy yourself a bottle at the same time. It can make a remarkable gift for many different occasions, from Christmas to meeting your father-in-law for the first time. If you know someone’s a fan, and you’re considering Scotch as a gift, it can help to do some research. If you can’t find out whether they have a favorite tipple, at least do some reading to see what’s available. It’s a gift they can keep for years, and it can be a great talking point. Plus, you might be lucky enough to get a glass when you visit.

Survival Skills – You’re probably not going to use your best bottle for this, but whiskey can be useful for practicing your survival skills. Its alcohol content makes it a fantastic fire starter. Not to mention that drinking it will warm you up too. You can also use it as an antiseptic to treat cuts and other wounds. It’s also useful for treating water to make it drinkable. And once the bottle’s empty, you can hang it from somewhere to catch the light and signal for help.

So, there you have it. Whiskey isn’t only good for drinking, even though that’s what it’s best for.