If you’ll be enjoying a glass of white (these are our favorites under $20) or rosé with say, a fresh salad, just stick it in the fridge for about twenty minutes prior to serving. “Those lower-proof products are very lively liquids and will deteriorate much more quickly, sometimes as fast as two weeks to a month,” says Amanda Victoria, CEO and founder of Siponey Spritz Co. While you are unlikely to be harmed by a fortified wine that’s past its prime, its aromatics and flavors might smell and taste muted or even slightly off. Essentially every liquor mentioned in this post on stocking your home bar–with the notable exception of already-opened vermouth–can and should be stored without refrigeration. Hard liquors like vodka, rum, tequila, and whiskey; most liqueurs, including Campari, St. Germain, Cointreau, and Pimm’s; and bitters are perfectly safe to store at room temperature.
You can even hang a glass rack over the top to increase storage and enhance the design. If you’ve stored your wine correctly—in a sealed bottle in the refrigerator—but the taste or color is just a little off, a slightly oxidized wine can still be used in the kitchen. “I find they work best in recipes with long cook times, like stews, sauces, or marinades, which allow the alcohol to cook off and the flavors to meld seamlessly,” Hoel says. Just avoid storing bottles in pockets of high heat or in locations where temperatures fluctuate drastically, such as next to the dishwasher or stove. Above all, don’t stash a collection on top of the refrigerator, says Robinson. Overhead lighting and refrigerator exhaust give off a lot of heat, and the constant vibration can adversely affect taste.
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Most liquor has a high-enough alcohol content to be kept at room temperature, either in a cabinet or on a bar cart. Warm temperatures can speed up oxidation, negatively affecting the quality and flavor. Sommeliers often encourage storing bottles of wine on their sides, but for liquor, not so. Keeping your whiskey down rather than standing it upright can cause the cork to mix and seep into the liquid, altering the high-alcohol content and causing it to disintegrate over time. But while some types will stay good for quite a while, others have a more complicated shelf life. If you want to keep your spirits spirited longer, follow these tips on how to store your liquor properly.
Of course, you can always look at shelving for liquor in particular, but any sturdy shelving is a safe bet. Overall, the most important part of how to display liquor in a bar is all about visual appeal and organization. “You can easily get a quality vacuum pump for $10 to $20 and, while not perfect, it can add a few days to the life of your wine,” explains Hoel.
Some opened bottles need to be refrigerated
Here’s a rundown of how to store different types of liquor and spirits, according to experts who work with them. Once Champagne is uncorked, the bottle pressure starts to fade, and the wine loses its sparkle. If you have a partially consumed bottle, a sparkling wine stopper can provide a temporary solution, but we highly recommend savoring your bubbly on the same day you pop the cork. Wine preservation systems designed to extend the life of your open bottle may help. Our advice for when you might fancy a glass of Champagne but don’t expect to consume the entire bottle? Look for half-bottles or even single-serve bottles (also called splits).
That can be a positive or negative, depending on your outlook and what’s in the bottle. 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. We’ve talked about how to store liquor, now let’s talk about some of our favorite barware products to enhance some of the options listed above. Yes, it is possible to store certain types of alcohol in the refrigerator.
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But in my honest opinion, most of us average wine drinkers don’t need one. A dark, cool na vs aa (again, that’s about 50 to 58 degrees) closet or cupboard kitted out with some racks and stays safe from major temperature swings will do just fine. Reds will begin to darken to brown and brick tones, while white wines will often deepen and become more yellow.
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However, if you have special bottles you’d like to age for an extended time that are sealed with corks, aim to store them between 60 to 68 percent humidity. This is because extremely dry air can cause the corks to dry out, allowing excess oxygen into the bottle, speeding up the aging process, and impacting the wine’s freshness. Conversely, too much humidity can cause the corks to grow mold or damage the label of the wine. If you have a growing wine collection or just like to keep a few bottles on hand at home, knowing how to store your wine properly is essential.
- Typically, the label should tell you if refrigeration is necessary after opening, but there are other factors to consider when storing alcohol at home.
- Professional cellar design companies will be able to propose the correct system according to your collection, goals, and local climate.
- But what happens when you open a new bottle of vermouth or vodka, and don’t polish off the bottle in one go?
- The remaining wine in the bottle is preserved in its original state, maintaining its quality and flavor profile.
It’ll also give you something fun to focus on while you learn how to get a liquor license and wait for your license application to be approved. If you don’t have a wine cooler or temperature controlled storage space where you can stow your wine, a cool cupboard (not in the kitchen) is a great way to make do. If your basement is free of dampness and mold, it can also serve as a makeshift wine cellar. Attics, hot garages, the top of your fridge or the cabinet above the washing machine are all off limits. In fact, don’t keep your wine in the kitchen unless you do decide to invest in a wine fridge (just keep it away from the dishwasher). Unopened spirits and wine can theoretically keep for years if stored properly.
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. If your bottles sit on a bar cart, make sure they’re out of direct sunlight.