What’s the Shelf Life of Liquor?

Every home bartender has a bottle or two that has been sitting in the back of their liquor cabinet for an extended period of time. Maybe it’s the crème de violette that was purchased to make an Aviation and never touched again, or the 25-year-old single malt that’s waiting for the perfect occasion to be opened. After a while, it’s natural to wonder if these bottles are even good anymore. 

So what is the shelf life of a bottle of alcohol? It turns out the answer is pretty complex. 

How Long Does Liquor Last?

Distilled spirits and liqueurs are remarkably stable products. Liquor is also pretty much non-perishable, meaning it won’t spoil or become dangerous to consume. However, there are a handful of environmental factors that can change the flavor, aroma, and alcohol content of a bottle over time.

“I’d say that factors to keep in mind if you want to maximize your enjoyment of your bottles at home are: time, light, heat, and oxygen,” says Wesly Moore, shop manager and spirits purchaser at Bar Keeper in Los Angeles. To combat these factors, proper storage is crucial to extending the life of any bottle of alcohol, whether it’s open or unopened.

“If you don’t open [a bottle] and store it at room temperature, it will stay good for a very long time,” says Stefano Pileggi, a vintage whiskey collector and the proprietor of high-end bottle shop Collezione in New York City. But once a bottle is opened, the clock starts ticking.

Best Practices for Storing Alcohol

When a distilled spirit is exposed to air, it begins to evaporate and oxidize. Oxygen is a highly reactive gas, and exposure to enough of it will change the chemical composition of a distilled spirit. Ethanol also evaporates at a lower temperature than water, so over time the overall proof of the spirit will drop. Both of these processes will change the character of a spirit, causing the balance and nuance to disappear and the liquor to taste “flat” after a long time exposed to air.

Heat is another major enemy of alcohol. Keeping bottles stored away from sunlight in a steady, room-temperature environment is a crucial step in curtailing evaporation. According to Pileggi, direct sunlight can heat the glass of a bottle and the spirit inside of it, increasing the rate of evaporation. “Over time, sunlight can also ruin the label,” he adds.

“Higher-proof spirits in particular may expand more from heat than you might expect,” says Moore. “This can actually force the cork out of the bottle, possibly spilling the spirit and of course allowing air back in.”

Unlike with wine or Champagne, it’s a bad idea to store a bottle of liquor on its side. 

“Any hard alcohol will eat away at the cork,” says Pileggi. As the cork degrades, it can allow air to enter the bottle, and the alcohol to evaporate more quickly. If trying to preserve a bottle with a natural cork for enjoyment after many years, Pileggi recommends turning the bottle over and wetting the cork for about 60 seconds at a time once a year to prevent it from drying out.

Shelf Life of Distilled Spirits 

If stored properly, an open bottle of liquor will slightly change over time but should generally maintain its character for between 1–3 years. A sealed bottle stored in ideal conditions can last decades while experiencing minimal changes. 

Does it matter if you’re storing, say, vodka or whiskey? All spirits are extremely similar in their chemical makeup: they’re mostly ethanol and water with small variations in compounds, like congeners, that imbue each spirit with flavor. Because of this, two spirits bottled at the same proof in the same environment should theoretically age at the same rate.

There is, however, some anecdotal evidence that there may be differences in the shelf life of certain spirits. 

“Based on my observation and experience, I believe that ‘white’ spirits are less susceptible to change over time that negatively affects flavor,” says Moore. “The only bottles I’ve ever had ‘go off’ on me were more extensively aged and more expensive spirits that I saved for sipping, often for a good long while.”

However, he posits that this could be because drinkers tend to consume bottles of unaged spirits more quickly than heavily aged spirits. It could also be due to the fact that many “brown” barrel-aged spirits, like whiskey, rum, and cognac, spend years resting before being bottled, and therefore have already been subjected to oxidation.

Shelf Life of Liqueurs and Amaro 

Much like distilled spirits, liqueurs and most amari are also quite stable. “Sugar is kind of amazing—not only does it taste good, it acts as a preservative in foods and beverages by preventing microbial growth,” says Moore. “Liqueurs at a proper sugar level should be shelf stable for more than long enough to enjoy them, say six months to a year.”

With heavily sweetened liqueurs, crystallized sugar can sometimes build up around the opening of the bottle under the cap. To ensure a proper seal and to prevent a stuck cap, use a warm, wet towel to wipe down the bottle after use.

Shelf Life of Vermouth and Wine-Based Spirits

Unlike distilled spirits and alcohol-based liqueurs, wine-based products like vermouths and vino amari (like Aperitivo Cappelletti) have a relatively short shelf life.

“We’ve all likely had a slightly sour Manhattan or a musty Martini, with the culprit being vermouth that’s gone bad,” says Moore.

Vermouth is fine being stored at room temperature until it’s opened. Once opened, bottles should be stored in a refrigerator and used within six to eight weeks.