I need to get some of these down at some point. For me, my basic sauce is a simple pan sauce - deglaze with beer/stock/whiskey (carefully with the last one), then add from there. Whenever I have a pan that has some tasty bits stuck to the bottom, I can't not make a pan sauce from it.
I would agree, deglazing with whiskey is tough. But you can't beat a rich red wine sauce.
I just want to up my game. I have been at every level of the restaurant, and I have always struggled with a balanced sauce to go with my dishes. A simple pan gravy, butter sauce, or béchamel is fine. Making a rich brown sauce, or red wine demi has been a struggle.
I would think if interested in Indian cuisine, its all about layers of flavor. From curry sauce/paste to Tikka Masala to Mattar Paneer, you are building a very rich sauce. That starts with a 'base' that gets layers of flavor. Grinding fresh spices for a perfect garam masala or curry, is like a creole getting the trinity/roux just right.