So, does vodka go bad? It is important to verify the age of each bottle of vodka from time to time to head off any potentially catastrophic occurrences. It’s safe to assume that no one wants to crack open a fine bottle of alcohol with an unpleasant smell and taste, right? So, how long does vodka last? The answer is right here in front of you.
In this article, we’ll discuss more about whether vodka goes bad.
Please do not wait till your vodka has gone bad before drinking it, have a sip and enjoy!
So, without any further ado, let’s jump right into it!
Does Vodka Ever Go Bad?
The correct response is “no.” It only becomes oxidized.
Vodka does not go bad over time. However, when you store the bottle for a long period without being opened, many factors may alter the liquid’s appearance, as well as its fragrance and flavor. As a result, it can go rotten.
You can hermetically seal every bottle of vodka. Hence, it remains as potent as possible for at least a few decades. However, suppose your bottle of vodka has been lying on the shelf for forty to fifty years without being opened. In that case, it may have lost some of its taste and alcohol content due to the gradual and steady oxidation. Some individuals may think of this oxidation as passing away. So, does vodka expire? No. it just gets oxidized.
Does Vodka Go Bad After Opening?
Yes, after 6-8 months.
Because it has such a high alcohol content, an unopened bottle of properly stored vodka is typically shelf-stable and has an indefinite shelf life. This is because the volume percentage of ethanol alcohol in vodka is twice as high as the volume percentage of ethanol alcohol in other types of liquor. Mold and bacteria cannot live in environments with an alcohol level of 25 percent or more.
When it comes to an opened bottle, the vodka inside will begin to alter six to eight months after you open the bottle. This is because the air in the bottle oxidizes the vodka. After one to two years, you may still use it without risk, but consuming it sooner rather than later will allow you to get the most out of it.
Manufacturers often include extra sugar and other components in flavored vodkas, which might lead to shorter shelf life. However, some companies, such as Absolut, recommend their consumers to drink their flavored vodka within two years of the purchase date for the flavor to the peak.
Does Flavored Vodka Go Bad?
Yes. Flavored vodka goes bad due to the additives having a shorter lifespan than the vodka itself.
Does Vodka Go Bad in Heat?
Yes. It does.
Keeping your vodka in its original glass container at room temperature and enclosing it in a cabinet is the best way to ensure its flavor remains unaltered. Please keep it away from heat and light sources, such as the sun, your oven, and other devices that produce heat.
Although you can keep vodka in a freezer because alcohol does not freeze at 0 degrees Fahrenheit, you’ll alter the taste of vodka exposed to warm temperatures for a lengthy time. Instead, please put it in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving after letting it cool at room temperature until you want to serve it. Then, serve your vodka at a temperature of 41 to 44 degrees Fahrenheit.
Does an Open Bottle of Vodka Go Bad?
Once you open a bottle of vodka, the custom in Russia dictates that you must consume it in full before replacing it. You will be able to preserve the bottle for an endless amount of time if you remove the cap, replace it securely, and store it away in a dry, cold area. If you’ve not opened the bottle, this is even better since you will have extra vodka to preserve for an unlimited amount of time.
Although vodka has a rather long shelf life, flavored vodkas don’t necessarily have the same degree of durability. For instance, Absolut Vodka suggests that their customers not keep their flavored vodkas for more than two years after purchase. This recommendation applies to all of their products.
Infused Vodka
Whether you open the bottle of vodka or not, the spirit will remain good for years. However, this perspective shifts significantly when you start experimenting and making your own infused or flavored vodkas.
As soon as you add components like fruit or dairy, you will have to put the infused drink in the refrigerator and consume it as soon as possible before it goes bad. Throw away the bottle as soon as you detect a rancid stench or observe anything out of the ordinary floating about!
Does Vodka Go Bad in the Freezer?
Yes.
The taste of the vodka diminishes if you freeze it. However, the complexity of the flavors that contribute to the distinctive taste of vodka is progressively lost when you overchill it.
But what about the fact that humans have been chilling alcoholic beverages for an untold amount of time? Some people have even gone so far as to make frozen alcoholic treats, which is quite extreme. At what temperature does vodka lose its taste or begin to freeze, whichever comes first?
The evidence supports this claim. Vodka can freeze.Suppose you chill the vodka to the appropriate degree. In that case, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to enjoy a vodka popsicle. At temperatures of -16 degrees Fahrenheit, vodka that contains 40 percent alcohol will turn to ice. This is a very small fraction of what a typical freezer is capable of. The coldest temperature that a standard freezer could reach was a few degrees below zero.
If you want the vodka frozen, you will need some commercial freezer or coolant. However, just because you are not going to store your vodka in a coolant does not mean that placing it in the freezer won’t entirely spoil the cocktail.
Even a standard freezer will gradually diminish the drink’s delicate nodes. Hence, that is why individuals who create excellent vodka and enjoy it recommend that you should never put the drink in the freezer.
Why Does Vodka Go Bad When You Freeze It?
The scientific justification for this is reasonable. According to those who specialize in studying alcoholic drinks, volatiles is a component of alcoholic beverages. But, no, it is not a team of Marvel superheroes; rather, it is the liquor component responsible for retaining its taste.
These tastes become more noticeable when your beverage is allowed to warm up in the open air gradually. Imagine it as releasing carbon dioxide bubbles from pouring soda pop at room temperature after you shake the soda pop.
Your beverage quickly loses its taste when the volatile ingredients release their flavor too quickly. Because of this, manufacturers age many beverages for an extended period. The longer they keep whisky and wine for maturing, the more volatile compounds they develop.
Because the flavor is released so gradually when the whiskey is cold, you do not detect the flavor when you first taste it. Instead, the ideal flavor profile, on the other hand, is achieved by serving whiskey at the appropriate temperature.
Ice is added to vodka because there are not many volatile components, and you want the taste to develop more gradually, thus adding ice. If you consume it at room temperature, you will experience a sudden burst of all the flavors. Then you won’t taste much of anything else.
Does Vodka Go Bad With Age?
Yes.
If you opened the bottle and kept it for more than 15 years, the vodka may have gone bad. For example, storing the vodka in a plastic container or tetra packs would reduce its shelf life to only three years. However, vodka kept in a glass container at a temperature between 41 and 61 degrees Fahrenheit and in a dark location will stay intact for more than 30 years.
It is difficult to make this drink taste unpleasant without even mentioning the possibility of it going bad. However, it is important to remember that vodka will lose some potency as time passes. That’s due to evaporation, but this does not indicate that the spirit has gone bad.
For the whiskey to be dangerous to humans, you’d have to keep the whiskey in the incorrect circumstances, including being exposed to direct sunlight in a not properly-sealed container,
In this scenario, potentially hazardous bacteria and yeast strains will begin to proliferate, and ingesting such a beverage may result in food poisoning due to their presence.
Therefore, you shouldn’t feel awful about throwing away the drink if it has an unpleasant flavor or smell or if the bottle contains impurities.
Does Vodka Go Bad in a Plastic Bottle?
Vodka can go bad regardless of the bottle you keep it in.
One of the most often requested spirits, vodka is a versatile spirit that you can use to make a wide variety of mixed beverages. To your good fortune, vodka is a spirit you can store for a significant amount of time once produced.
So, does vodka expire in plastic bottles? If you don’t open the bottle, the contents will remain fresh for an unlimited time. But, open a bottle of vodka the day after you buy it or after forty years, and it will have a practically identical flavor.
The storage of the spirit will gradually alter the flavor over time because some part of the liquid may evaporate through a corked cap, or chemicals may leach out of the plastics of a bottle. On the other hand, this is a gradual process, and it will most likely take decades before the taste is affected.
Can You Get Sick From Expired Vodka?
Suppose you want to avoid becoming sick from bad vodka. In that case, you should examine the bottle by giving it a whiff and looking inside it to see if there are any impurities.
However, drinking old vodka won’t make you ill as a rule. Because vodka beverages that have gone bad would most likely taste duller and stranger, this would only allow you to experience an acceptable palate catastrophe.
How to Properly Store Vodka?
Like whiskey and brandy, you should store vodka in the same manner as other distilled spirits.
Keeping it away from direct sunshine and other heat sources will help preserve its quality. It would help if you kept the container vertical as much as possible to prevent leaks.
Before placing the bottle back in the cabinet, use the original cap to seal it after you’ve opened it firmly. There is a significant chance that any new caps will not seal the bottle as well as the original one.
Finally, never keep vodka (or any other alcoholic beverage) in a bottle with a pourer. Use the original cap to shut the bottle after using this tool.
It is possible to chill the vodka by putting it in the fridge for a few hours before serving it. Instead of using the refrigerator, you may speed up the process using the freezer. Alcohol will not freeze, so don’t be concerned. Vodkas will freeze if you have a freezer that can’t go below -10 degrees Fahrenheit (or -23 degrees Celsius).
An alternative if your vodka bottle is a half-empty bottle with only half the remaining alcohol is good. Less oxygen in the bottle means a longer-lasting flavor since this inhibits oxidation.
Read Also: Is Vodka Gluten-Free?
Final Words – Does Vodka Go Bad?
So, now you are aware that vodka does not truly spoil or expire; rather, it just loses some of its taste and power with time. As a result, you won’t need to be very concerned if you discover a bottle of this alcohol sitting in your bar for a few years. An opened vodka bottle won’t stay for long. If that bottle stays unopened, it will stay for much longer.
In this manner, you will preserve the awe-inspiring quality of your drink just as it was on the day you purchased it! Lastly, drink vodka before its expiration date.
Nevertheless, to get the most out of this beverage, we strongly suggest that you store the vodka following its guidelines (which, fortunately, are not too complicated). Unlike wine, vodka drinks can last longer.
