Best Substitutes for Nutmeg

Out of Nutmeg? Here are the best alternatives that work in cocktail recipes.

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Original Ingredient

Nutmeg

Other Warm, aromatic nose with sweet-spicy mace, cinnamon, and woody warmth. Complex, pungent palate with nutty depth and faint clove character. Lingering, warming finish with exotic spice.

Recommended Substitutes

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Cinnamon

Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.

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Allspice

Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.

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Cloves

Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.

General Substitution Tips

  • Match the alcohol level: a 40% spirit needs a similarly strong replacement or adjust volume.
  • For liqueurs, dilute spirits + simple syrup can replicate sweetness and proof.
  • Citrus substitutions: lemon and lime are mostly interchangeable at a 1:1 ratio.
  • For bitters, Angostura is the most neutral substitute for most other aromatic bitters.