Liquor Rule of Thumb: Finish it Fast or Chuck it

There's a perennial question that some people seem to have - how long is too long for that bottle of booze in your liquor cabinet? We say some people have that problem because most of our liquor bottles have a pretty short half life. But we can picture it, you open up the doors of ye olde liquor cabinet and find that dusty old bottle of Bailey's your grandma brought over for Christmas '86...can you still drink it?

Check out the massive list of expert assessments from the Chicago Tribune to get some interesting rules of thumb - including the fact that the Bailey's is fine if it's been refrigerated. Good to know.

We've distilled the article down to three main points:

1. Distilled spirits don't go bad; they fade.

Once the bottle is opened, the air inside starts to oxidize the alcohol, causing it to fade in taste and aroma. Heat and sunlight can cause the sugar in the alcohol to crystallize, changing its taste. So be sure to store those bottles in a cool, dry place.

2. Cream and fruit and herb liqueurs will spoil.

Liqueurs that have cream in them or are based on fruit or herbs are another matter. Although the alcohol content keeps the cream or fruit or herbs from spoiling quickly, the liqueur does have a limited shelf life once opened.

3. More air = less flavor
Once a bottle of liquor gets down to the quarter-bottle level, the alcohol starts to quickly evaporate the longer it is kept. So either finish it fast or chuck it.

Read More in: Drinking Advice | Liquor

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