Author: Charles Frank

10 Intoxicating Ways to Store Your Liquor at Home

And that a decanter is a beautiful way to showcase whisky, but not a suitable way to store whisky for longer periods of time as it will expose it to air and light. It’s considered an alcoholic liqueur, which means that Campari can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. “It is not necessary to refrigerate liqueurs which are spirit-based, and they usually have a high enough sugar content so they will not oxidize,” says Daniel Warrilow of Campari America. Gin should be stored in a dark place, at a little cooler than room temperature. Unopened gin has a long shelf life — around 2-3 years, that depends on the maker. But, unlike wine, gin does not get better with age, so there is no reason to keep it waiting on the shelf.

To find out how you can declutter in your life, talk to one of our space experts. It’s no-brainer storage, plus it adds a fun stylistic element to what could easily be a very plain shelf set-up. She has been writing professionally for nearly 10 years and has contributed to digital and print publications such as Martha Stewart, Shape, Real Simple, Healthline, and SELF. She also creates original recipes, which have appeared on product packaging in stores.

If you like the flavor and texture of your vodka, it could be a disservice to keep it in your freezer. But, if the spirit has a lot of additives and gives you a boozy burn when you drink it, “it might absolutely benefit from being poured chilled,” says Victoria. It’s easy to ignore the bottles of alcohol you have sitting in that closed cabinet for ages, but go through it all and clear out what you don’t like or want.

We store the rest of our alcohol such as mixers, liqueurs, and vodka in a cabinet in our kitchen. After opened, this wine may be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks without losing its freshness or even longer, depending on the brand. But, let’s be honest, who keeps a bottle of amazing sherry for so long? There are so many incredible sherry cocktails that it seems just impossible. Showcase your prettiest liquor bottles alongside your book collection.

1. Regardless, as you’re decluttering your way through your home during the Less Mess Challenge, you’ll want to hit the liquor cabinet.
2. You could easily repurpose a side table, nightstand, or secretary desk to hold your liquor collection.
3. Unlike white wines and champagne, hard liquor can and should be stored at room temperature (yes, even vodka).
4. Whether you’re a spirit connoisseur or making your first steps as a home bartender, you probably have a small collection of alcohol at home.
5. If you like the flavor and texture of your vodka, it could be a disservice to keep it in your freezer.

“Room temperature is best for tequila,” says Neil Grosscup, Tanteo Tequila master blender and CEO. Storing spirits the right way is important to provide the best taste and experience. Typically, the label should tell you if refrigeration is necessary after opening, but there are other factors to consider when storing alcohol at home. Here’s a rundown of how to store different types of liquor and spirits, according to experts who work with them.

How to Store Gin

In order to keep the cork from crumbling or chipping when you open the bottle, moist the cork once a month by turning the bottle upside down for a few seconds. There is no need to keep vodka in the freezer the whole time, it won’t make vodka last longer. Chill vodka in the freezer before you drink it to receive a smooth and easy-going sipping pleasure. For everything you can’t fit in your home (like the collection of vinyl records and shoes you moved to make room for your liquor display, #priorities), use Clutter. And if you don’t have a vintage sewing table on hand (who does, really?), don’t stress. You could easily repurpose a side table, nightstand, or secretary desk to hold your liquor collection.

Warm temperatures can speed up oxidation, negatively affecting the quality and flavor. At the same event, the Bacardi researchers also presented some of their findings on the effects of oxidation – the effect of air on alcohol. Obviously, use the stoppers or caps that come with the bottles – that’s a no-brainer.

Researchers from Bacardi presented some detailed information on the effects of light and heat on booze at an event in 2015. Their in-house tests suggested that heat can change the way a spirit tastes, by breaking down its organic molecules, and that light can fade the color of a spirit. Unlike with food, your primary concern doesn’t need to be the drink “going bad,” although that can happen with wine and some liqueurs. (If you’re drinking wine that has turned, you’ll probably know right away – it will taste like vinegar.) The greater issue is the deterioration of taste and quality. No one wants to be treated to a pricey bottle of booze, only for its quality to decline before you even get to try it. That can be a positive or negative, depending on your outlook and what’s in the bottle.

Think Outside the Cabinet

After all, who doesn’t love to sip a glass of whiskey while curling up with a good book?

“Home storage of distilled spirits is a constant competition between convenience and preservation,” said Allen Katz, co-founder of New York Distilling Company. Even if you don’t have a wine cellar, there are some basic guidelines for how to (and how not to) store alcohol at home. “Every now and then, give the bottle a shake so the cork stays moist,” says Beguedou. This can be as often as once a week or as infrequently as every three months. It all depends on the age and condition of the bottle and its closure –– older corks will likely need more frequent hydration. Eyeball any bottles with cork closures to see if they appear dry, which should be apparent by how pronounced its holes or pores look.

Fun Ways to Store Your Liquor at Home

For common distilled spirits, such as whiskey, vodka, gin, rum and tequila, the general rule of thumb is to store them at room temperature. Though some experts say the ideal range is slightly lower, between 55 and 60 degrees. As temperatures rise, the alcohol begins to expand and can evaporate more quickly. While it won’t hurt you healthwise to consume, storing in a warm place can cause the liquor to oxidize more quickly and change flavors over time. Another element that affects the longevity of spirits is alcohol content. “The two largest factors that affect spirits over time are light and temperature,” says Sean Patrick McClure, beverage director at The Ivory Peacock in New York City.

In the last two years, my husband has enjoyed drinking bourbon and has built a bourbon collection. It takes up more space than I’d like to sacrifice in the kitchen, so we cleared a shelf in our dining room buffet for him to store it. If you like a martini every now and then, make sure you’re not leaving your opened vermouth out alongside your gin or vodka. Fortified wines will deteriorate in flavor, making for a pretty stale drink. Keep it tightly sealed in the fridge and don’t expect it to last as long as a straight spirit.

How to Store Alcohol at Home for Maximum Shelf Life

It’s attractive, sturdy, and big enough to accommodate your liquor collection without taking up too much space. This charming DIY project from A Beautiful Mess hits all those points. Not only does this liquor cabinet safely store all your alcohol, it doubles as stylish wall decor wherever you hang it. Here are 10 creative ways to store and display your liquor, plus three quick tips about how to do it safely. “Vodka can be kept at room temperature (and often is),” says Jonathan Hemi of Crystal Head Vodka. He prefers to store his bottle in the freezer “so it is always cold and ready to use.”

Open Bottles of Alcohol

Once opened, the bottle should not be left for too long as the opened alcohol starts oxidizing and gradually losing its aromas. You can pour the remaining whisky into a smaller bottle to keep it flavourful longer. So make sure you keep the opened gin bottle in a dark cool place, and try to kill the bottle within a year.

Spirits like vodka don’t exactly go bad once they’re opened, but they will deteriorate in quality over time. To prolong the shelf life of calvados, keep the bottle in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight. You can dedicate the entire surface to your liquor display, or mix your bottles with other decorative elements like a vase, sculpture, or stack of books. It’s perfectly fine to chill your gin or tequila in the freezer before you drink it, but the cold temperature won’t extend the alcohol’s shelf life. Harsh UV rays can damage your liquor over time (and might even change its color), so it’s best to store your bottles away from streaming sunlight.

He recommends storing open and sealed bottles of liquor out of direct sunlight and at room temperature or slightly cooler, around 68 to 72°F. If your bottles sit on a bar cart, make sure they’re out of direct sunlight. While UV rays won’t spoil liquor, extended exposure to the sun has a similar effect to storing at high temperatures (speeding up the oxidation process).