“Spring cleaning is fun!” Said no one ever but it’s a good way to feel accomplished since New Years Goals failed. Finding a place to start Spring Cleaning can be overwhelming, but with my help, and your bar, we are going to drink our way through a spring cleaning with ease. There’s a keyword in the phrase “Aging like fine wine” and the word is Fine! So that wine that Becky got you at the company Christmas party as a white elephant gift may not be fine!
What Wine Is Best Aged and What Wine Expires Quickly?
If you’re wondering why there’s a sherry Vinegar next to this aged wine then you’ve never sipped bad wine before. Bad wine tastes like straight vinegar.
When To Pour The Wine Down The Sink Instead of Down Your Throat.
Oxygen kills wine over time but oxygen is giving humans life….interesting. Once a bottle is opened, it starts to oxidize. Just think of an apple that’s been cut open. To extend the life of the wine you need to expose it to less oxygen (put a cork in it, or if you’ve been blessed with a Coravin then use it).
Temperature is another factor in bad wine. For a fine wine to age nicely it needs the proper temperature, no light, and no oxygen.
If you understand wine’s structure, balance, and Producer then you will value how to keep it so it will be fine.
If you don’t understand what I said above and you’ve had that wine for more than a year in the pantry. Toss it.
When Does Tequila Expire
The only thing Tequila has in common with wine is that dizzy feeling you get after too much of it. So saving a bottle of tequila for years won’t make it taste better.
Tequila has an indefinite shelf life if unopened, unlike me after three shots of it and I’m done.
Air in the bottle equals faster evaporation and oxidation which makes the quality of the tequila deteriorate.
Tequila can expire if you leave it unopened because it will begin to evaporate. Don’t store it with a pourer or without its cap.
Do Liqueurs and Cordials Go Bad?
The more sugar a liqueur has the faster it will deteriorate. Many have preservatives to slow spoilage down but it all boils down to the alcohol content. A liqueur with a higher proof contains more alcohol and will last longer than a lower proof. So when my friend Ikem’s father-in-law opened his signed Grand Mariner bottle that he saved for years in the back of the pantry it was still good. Oh, he was PISSED 😡 that the seal was broken on that particular bottle for sure!
Cream Liqueurs are a different story. Even if they are unopened they will spoil after a year and a half. Cheaper ones will deteriorate faster. I guess Liqueurs have something in common with wine on this one.
Will a a Cognac, Whisky or Bourbon Expire?
Unless you’re a major Liquor aficionado then you won’t be able to taste if a dark liquor has been collecting dust on my bar. Opened bottles should be consumed in less than two years as long as it’s kept in a cool dark place. Unopened good quality bottles will not expire as long as the cork is sealing it tight. If you’ve got a bottle of some cheap stuff then you may want to give it a sniff before you give it a sip.
QUALITY DOES NOT EXPIRE 😉
When Does Vodka Expire?
The High Alcohol Content makes vodka susceptible to spoiling but it will oxidize. Clear vodkas are easier to tell if it’s time to toss it by crystallization around the cap and discoloration from what it originally looked like. Some people like to freeze vodka but that does change the taste of it and doesn’t make it last longer. Keep it sealed tight in a dark cool place to keep it strong for the long haul.
I didn’t cover Gin but I’m sure by now you’re either drunk, tipsy or you get it.
1. Keep liquors in a cool dark place.
2. Wine will go bad if opened and not at the right temperature.
3. Quality doesn’t expire 😉
4. Toss cream Liqueurs even if unopened after about a year and a half.
When we provide Apartment cleaning in Austin or House cleaning in Spanish Oaks we’ve noticed that people realize that they too have a shelf life. Why spend time cleaning, when you can hire a pro who knows how to give you back your time to enjoy drinking with family and friends.