I did a little more reading on this...
First of all, apparently you *can* get an effect by inhaling alcohol vapor, though it does take quite a bit of effort to get that effect.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6011716/
Quote:
The alcohol without liquid (AWOL) machine vaporizes booze so customers can inhale it rather than drink it.
The makers tout it as a way to get a buzz without the calories, carbs or much of a hangover. The machine pumps pressurized oxygen through a hose over a small amount of liquor in a canister held by the customer, who sucks up the vapor.
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As for the burning, I found
this site with the combustion equation. It notes that in real life, combustion is incomplete; however, it doesn't state what are the possible other products that are produced. In any case, I feel reasonably confident now that you're not producing sugar or anything else that would affect flavor (since sugar should burn!). Since what's really burning is the alcohol vapor, and not the alcohol in the liquid form, I don't expect that the flavor of a food would change whether you boil off the alcohol or burn it off.