Gift Guide 2015: Super Sauces

December 1, 2015

Double

Full confession here: I’m addicted to Lady Jayne’s Worcestershire Sauce.  It’s richer, fuller, more exciting than any other Worcestershire sauce I’ve encountered, and even though it’s stunningly expensive ($27 for 3.4 ounces), I’m not surprised it’s sold out. The sheer complexity of this sauce makes absolutely everything taste better; until you’ve had a Caesar salad made with this, you haven’t had Caesar salad.

But it is, I said, sold out; the next batch, currently aging in Bourbon and Rye barrels, will be available sometime next spring. In the meantime, here’s a very decent (but definitely different), substitute.

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Col. Pabst Worcestershire Sauce is – no surprise given its pedigree – based primarily on beer. (It’s not Pabst, but a malt amber lager from Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee).  Unlike the Lady Jayne, which begins with fresh anchovies, the anchovies here are in paste form, and they stay in the background; the major notes, in addition to beer, are apple cider vinegar, Demerara sugar, tomato paste, Tabasco sauce, soy sauce and salt.  There’s a hint of clove in the mix; some ginger and curry too. 

And should you be interested in trying a Lady Jayne product, let me suggest these smelling salts.  One whiff  helps get you through the day. And at $5, a vial 3makes an unusual stocking stuffer.

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You can click on the names of the products to go to the various websites, but for those who didn’t realize that, I’m including the links here as well:

Lady Jayne Worcestershire Sauce: http://www.ladyjaynesalchemy.com/new-products-1/worcestershire

Col Pabst Worcestershire Sauce, $13.95 for 16 ounces from http://colonelpabst.com/

Smelling salts: http://www.ladyjaynesalchemy.com/new-products-1/olfactory

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2 Comments

  • Momma J says:

    A lifetime ago, we made our own Worcestershire sauce, even using smelt, caught in the Columbia River, instead of anchovies!!
    I can’t find the recipe, but it took a week to process, cook, and can in tiny 1/2 pint jars.
    It probably would be pretty costly, making your recommendations look like a deal!!

  • Anonymous says:

    disappointed that both are sold out 🙁

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