I'm not a big alcohol drinker. Primarily beer and wine with an occasional margarita. I have some bottles of alcohol in a cabinet that I keep for guests visiting. Most have been there quite a while. Is there a shelf life for these? Any I should consider pitching after a certain amount of time? They are: Gordon's, Jose Cuero, Smirnoff's, Jim Beam, and some Triple Sec.
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Most liquor, if opened, will degrade materially flavorwise within a year or two. Vodka is the exception and can last indefinitely.
Unopened, no concerns. -
Shelf life for liquor? 😂😂😂 Like that’s a problem for us.Comment
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Yeah, I was wondering what the hell he was talking about... -
Oh gosh darn, my half gallon of Jack has been opened for 3 days…is it still ok? -
Panhead John "my half gallon of Jack has been opened for 3 days" -- I don't think he will last a week, poor Jack.
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I wouldn't worry about it.Comment
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I think Z_C summed it up very well, but for many of us here liquor "shelf life" is not much of a concern
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Honestly though, maybe you should investigate using more liquors in your cooking, if you are not drinking it. That way, you get a nice flavor enhancer.Comment
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Good question, and one I have thought about myself. I still have about a dozen+ unopened fifths and quarts I bought over a decade ago for a big party we were throwing. Hired a bartender who gave me a long list of what to buy, but in the end everyone drank either beer, wine, and only a few of the liquor bottles were consumed. We just talked about them the other day and Kathy wondered if we could give them out as presents this year, but we weren’t sure they would still be good.Comment
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the shelf life for a bottle of Stoli at my house is about 36 hours.Comment
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I'm an old, broke down soldier and now work in security. the life of a bottle of liquor in my house is measured in minutes ..... CaptainMike knows.Comment
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3 days,,,,Comment
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Generally speaking, this is what I've been told:- unopened primary liquor (rum, vodka, gin, tequila, whiskey) have an indefinite shelf life. Once opened, the clock starts a-ticking, but should still be good for years before flavor starts to turn.
- liquors that contain sugar can deteriorate over time. If you have any sugar-inspired liquors (like cotton-candy flavored vodka or some cordials like schnapps), might be worth tasting them to ensure they haven't gone bad flavor-wise because they will eventually. If you notice any sugar crystallization or discolor, toss the bottle
- Cream-based liquors should only be good for about 18-24 months, even if unopened
- Mixers should have expiration dates on them and likely should be refrigerated after opening
- Store everything in a cabinet of some sort, as sunlight isn't good.
- Always store your bottles with their original caps, never with those handy bar pourer spouts.
It may also be worthwhile to evaluate your liquor cabinet to determine how much of a host you want to be. Not every home needs a full bar setup to make Any Cocktail Available. Stick with the core that you or your friends enjoy the most and chuck the rest. Example: If nobody drinks martinis - you probably don't need gin or vermouth (unless you're cooking with it).
Tape a post-it note on each bottle with the date it was last used and revisit your cabinet in a year (or two). If that bottle hasn't been touched in [whatever timeframe], then it may be worth checking, chucking, and not replacing.
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For the high alcohol content bottles 40 %vol or 80 proof and as long as the bottle is well sealed, even if previously opened, taste before you chuck.
I recently got several bottles of whisky (Scottish of course) from my father in law who did not want them anymore, that were quite a few years old and some of them had been opened before, but they still tasted great - and I do like my whiskies.Comment
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