How long do open bottles of spirits last?

jsmith99 · 18-12-2012, 15:04

I've just cleaned out the drinks cupboard, which is only bottles of spirits, which we drink only at this time of year.

As well as the whisky and gin, which are fairly recent, I found:

Type............................Approx Age..........Volume
Remy Martin Cognac .........15yo ..............1/2 full
Bacardi ..............................10yo ..............nearly full
Vodka ................................10yo...............1/2 full
Lamb Nay Rum...................10yo.............. 3/4 full
Taylors Port ........................7yo ..............unopened
Bombay Gin....................... .3yo ..............nearly full
Cassis Liqueur ....................3yo ...............nearly full

Plus two small bottles (1 flavoured raki and 1 unidentified) from holidays.

Are any of these safe to drink? Or can we keep them for another few years?

Elanor · 18-12-2012, 15:38

Not sure about all of them, but port should be fine unopened. I think it does go off if open, like red wine.

Cassis will possibly not be ok - the sugars can separate and go grainy and the fruit can separate slightly and make the drink a bit odd. Pour some out and have a look - it won't do you any harm, it just might not be very nice.

smudges dad · 18-12-2012, 15:47

In general the alcohol will keep them sterile so they will be perfectly safe. Not sure about the cassis, but the others should still be pretty drinkable.

Jambo_c · 18-12-2012, 15:52

The whiskey, vodka and gin should be fine providing they're sealed. The brandy and rum should be too but I'd taste it first as I was once told that they have certain components that can oxidise and screw the flavour up.

Liqueurs are different so I'd hazard a guess that the Cassis may not be so good.

At the end of the day the worst that can happen is it tastes bad, it won't kill you.

sbugg · 18-12-2012, 16:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elanor

Not sure about all of them, but port should be fine unopened. I think it does go off if open, like red wine.

Red wine goes off, **** no one told me that.

Elanor · 18-12-2012, 16:28

I think it's correct that spirts don't go off.

Port and cassis aren't spirits though; port is a fortified wine, and cassis is a fruit liqueur. I tend to keep my cassis in the fridge now as a bottle did go really odd last year - it went very dark and grainy and smelt very strong, a bit like fermented jam or something. It didn't taste unpleasant, but the texture was all wrong.

Pixie Queen · 18-12-2012, 17:29

Open bottles of spirits don't last for very long in our house when all The Slavettes are home so I'm afraid I have no idea how long an opened bottle would be in a normal household.

gerr60 · 18-12-2012, 17:36

In our house only a matter of hours, but i know people who keep opened bottles of spirits for months and its still ok.

curvybabes · 18-12-2012, 17:39

^^ same here i cant believe youve had them so long :0

jsmith99 · 18-12-2012, 20:45

Thanks for the replies. I'll pour out the cassis, and anyone who wants any of the others can take their chances!

We're just not big spirits drinkers. I have a whisky in hot water when I have a cold, and a rum and coke at christmas, and that's about it.

Elanor · 18-12-2012, 22:09

Don't just pour away the cassis without checking it! It may be totally fine - try it!

gemma-the-husky · 19-12-2012, 12:38

full strength spirits will be OK, I am sure.

stuff like baileys with cream in, is a bit dodgy. port can go off..

just taste the drinks though, as others have said

richclever · 19-12-2012, 15:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbugg

Red wine goes off, **** no one told me that.

Not in my house it doesn't!

evil c · 19-12-2012, 16:09

After my Dad died I discovered about a dozen bottles of vodka, gin and whisky that were over 20 years old and unopened. Some of the bottles contents had evaporated and the spirits were slightly discoloured, but eventually I opened and drank them all with no ill effects.

You should really drink the port soon as, unless it is a vintage port, it will have been sold to drink straight away. It probably won't go off but you have nothing to gain from keeping it. As regards the Remy Martin, that should be OK, but drink and enjoy it, it's good stuff!

barneyboy · 19-12-2012, 17:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbugg

Red wine goes off, **** no one told me that.

lol youre funny.

john176bramley · 19-12-2012, 20:53

We had 2/3rds of a bottle of whisky that had been hanging around for ages. I drank it one night and it seemed ok but I felt absolutely terrible the next day, it must have gone off.

Christian_Grey · 19-12-2012, 21:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by john176bramley

We had 2/3rds of a bottle of whisky that had been hanging around for ages. I drank it one night and it seemed ok but I felt absolutely terrible the next day, it must have gone off.

It's called a hangover

gemma-the-husky · 19-12-2012, 22:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by john176bramley

We had 2/3rds of a bottle of whisky that had been hanging around for ages. I drank it one night and it seemed ok but I felt absolutely terrible the next day, it must have gone off.

just the same with me when i had 6 pints and a bag of peanuts that must have been off.

The Wizard · 20-12-2012, 07:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by evil c

After my Dad died I discovered about a dozen bottles of vodka, gin and whisky that were over 20 years old and unopened. Some of the bottles contents had evaporated and the spirits were slightly discoloured, but eventually I opened and drank them all with no ill effects.

You should really drink the port soon as, unless it is a vintage port, it will have been sold to drink straight away. It probably won't go off but you have nothing to gain from keeping it. As regards the Remy Martin, that should be OK, but drink and enjoy it, it's good stuff!

I have a feeling that this family are not drinkers otherwise they'd all be polished off by now.

These were probably bought for other people to enjoy at Christmas or are probably left overs or gifts from other people which only get drunk by guests. Am I right?

jsmith99 · 21-12-2012, 00:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elanor

Don't just pour away the cassis without checking it! It may be totally fine - try it!

I'll wait till my wife opens a bottle of white, and she can try it with that. I've no idea how it's supposed to taste.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gemma-the-husky

............ port can go off.......................

Quote:

Originally Posted by evil c

............You should really drink the port soon as, unless it is a vintage port, it will have been sold to drink straight away. It probably won't go off but you have nothing to gain from keeping it...............

The port hasn't been opened, so I'm hoping it'll be ok. I only like it with cheese after dinner. Which (the cheese) I don't have very often.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Wizard

I have a feeling that this family are not drinkers otherwise they'd all be polished off by now.

These were probably bought for other people to enjoy at Christmas or are probably left overs or gifts from other people which only get drunk by guests. Am I right?

Half right. I'm fond of half a bottle of wine or a lager with my dinner. And I have one or the other every night unless I'll be driving, I'm afraid.

Spirits are different, though; we very rarely drink them. The port was a present, the reast, as you guessed, we buy for Christmas.

gerr60 · 21-12-2012, 05:02

[quote=john176bramley;63078995]We had 2/3rds of a bottle of whisky that had been hanging around for ages. I drank it one night and it seemed ok but I felt absolutely terrible the next day, it must have gone off.

[/QUOTE

Its called a hangover.

dodgygeeza · 21-12-2012, 16:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by john176bramley

We had 2/3rds of a bottle of whisky that had been hanging around for ages. I drank it one night and it seemed ok but I felt absolutely terrible the next day, it must have gone off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christian_Grey

It's called a hangover

I'm pretty sure that was a joke and it just went whoosh

In a similar vein I always chuckle when someone says "Well I had six pints of beer, a bottle of wine and two shots and the shots made me sick/gave me a hangover!"

Elanor · 21-12-2012, 17:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsmith99

I'll wait till my wife opens a bottle of white, and she can try it with that. I've no idea how it's supposed to taste.

Nooooo! Don't waste a whole glass of wine by pouring in off cassis! Just pour a bit in a glass - it will be immediately obvious if it's off, it'll be all grainy and have sediment. If it's smooth, then it's fine.

kate36 · 22-12-2012, 17:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by gemma-the-husky

full strength spirits will be OK, I am sure.

stuff like baileys with cream in, is a bit dodgy. port can go off..

just taste the drinks though, as others have said

i've had some ballycastle from aldi since last year and it tastes fine, no nasty after effects either

i've got some single malt whisky and some brandy from last year as well, brandy tastes fine, most of it went in the xmas cake!

i've not tasted the whisky, im assuming it will be ok

i suppose fruit based spirits might be a bit iffy, smell and taste i've always found the best guide and appearance

Beautiful_Harv · 23-12-2012, 13:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christian_Grey

It's called a hangover

18-12-2012, 15:04	#1
jsmith99 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 19,936	How long do open bottles of spirits last? I've just cleaned out the drinks cupboard, which is only bottles of spirits, which we drink only at this time of year. As well as the whisky and gin, which are fairly recent, I found: Type............................Approx Age..........Volume Remy Martin Cognac .........15yo ..............1/2 full Bacardi ..............................10yo ..............nearly full Vodka ................................10yo...............1/2 full Lamb Nay Rum...................10yo.............. 3/4 full Taylors Port ........................7yo ..............unopened Bombay Gin....................... .3yo ..............nearly full Cassis Liqueur ....................3yo ...............nearly full Plus two small bottles (1 flavoured raki and 1 unidentified) from holidays. Are any of these safe to drink? Or can we keep them for another few years?

21-12-2012, 05:02	#21
gerr60 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 715	[quote=john176bramley;63078995]We had 2/3rds of a bottle of whisky that had been hanging around for ages. I drank it one night and it seemed ok but I felt absolutely terrible the next day, it must have gone off.[/QUOTE Its called a hangover.

18-12-2012, 15:38	#2
Elanor Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 13,041	Not sure about all of them, but port should be fine unopened. I think it does go off if open, like red wine. Cassis will possibly not be ok - the sugars can separate and go grainy and the fruit can separate slightly and make the drink a bit odd. Pour some out and have a look - it won't do you any harm, it just might not be very nice.

18-12-2012, 15:47	#3
smudges dad Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Fort William Posts: 22,292	In general the alcohol will keep them sterile so they will be perfectly safe. Not sure about the cassis, but the others should still be pretty drinkable.

18-12-2012, 15:52	#4
Jambo_c Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 3,721	The whiskey, vodka and gin should be fine providing they're sealed. The brandy and rum should be too but I'd taste it first as I was once told that they have certain components that can oxidise and screw the flavour up. Liqueurs are different so I'd hazard a guess that the Cassis may not be so good. At the end of the day the worst that can happen is it tastes bad, it won't kill you.

18-12-2012, 16:16	#5
sbugg Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Dunny-on-the-Wold Posts: 2,568	Quote: Originally Posted by Elanor Not sure about all of them, but port should be fine unopened. I think it does go off if open, like red wine. Red wine goes off, **** no one told me that.

18-12-2012, 16:28	#6
Elanor Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 13,041	I think it's correct that spirts don't go off. Port and cassis aren't spirits though; port is a fortified wine, and cassis is a fruit liqueur. I tend to keep my cassis in the fridge now as a bottle did go really odd last year - it went very dark and grainy and smelt very strong, a bit like fermented jam or something. It didn't taste unpleasant, but the texture was all wrong.

18-12-2012, 17:29	#7
Pixie Queen Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: My Own Little World Posts: 1,102	Open bottles of spirits don't last for very long in our house when all The Slavettes are home so I'm afraid I have no idea how long an opened bottle would be in a normal household.

18-12-2012, 17:36	#8
gerr60 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 715	In our house only a matter of hours, but i know people who keep opened bottles of spirits for months and its still ok.

18-12-2012, 17:39	#9
curvybabes Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Scotland Posts: 11,156	^^ same here i cant believe youve had them so long :0

18-12-2012, 20:45	#10
jsmith99 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 19,936	Thanks for the replies. I'll pour out the cassis, and anyone who wants any of the others can take their chances! We're just not big spirits drinkers. I have a whisky in hot water when I have a cold, and a rum and coke at christmas, and that's about it.

18-12-2012, 22:09	#11
Elanor Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 13,041	Don't just pour away the cassis without checking it! It may be totally fine - try it!

19-12-2012, 12:38	#12
gemma-the-husky Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: UK Posts: 17,858	full strength spirits will be OK, I am sure. stuff like baileys with cream in, is a bit dodgy. port can go off.. just taste the drinks though, as others have said

19-12-2012, 15:49	#13
richclever Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 3,287	Quote: Originally Posted by sbugg Red wine goes off, **** no one told me that. Not in my house it doesn't!

19-12-2012, 16:09	#14
evil c Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Wirral Peninsula Posts: 4,777	After my Dad died I discovered about a dozen bottles of vodka, gin and whisky that were over 20 years old and unopened. Some of the bottles contents had evaporated and the spirits were slightly discoloured, but eventually I opened and drank them all with no ill effects. You should really drink the port soon as, unless it is a vintage port, it will have been sold to drink straight away. It probably won't go off but you have nothing to gain from keeping it. As regards the Remy Martin, that should be OK, but drink and enjoy it, it's good stuff!

19-12-2012, 17:32	#15
barneyboy Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,029	Quote: Originally Posted by sbugg Red wine goes off, **** no one told me that. lol youre funny.

19-12-2012, 20:53	#16
john176bramley Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 23,049	We had 2/3rds of a bottle of whisky that had been hanging around for ages. I drank it one night and it seemed ok but I felt absolutely terrible the next day, it must have gone off.

19-12-2012, 21:42	#17
Christian_Grey Inactive Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 1,210	Quote: Originally Posted by john176bramley We had 2/3rds of a bottle of whisky that had been hanging around for ages. I drank it one night and it seemed ok but I felt absolutely terrible the next day, it must have gone off. It's called a hangover

19-12-2012, 22:58	#18
gemma-the-husky Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: UK Posts: 17,858	Quote: Originally Posted by john176bramley We had 2/3rds of a bottle of whisky that had been hanging around for ages. I drank it one night and it seemed ok but I felt absolutely terrible the next day, it must have gone off. just the same with me when i had 6 pints and a bag of peanuts that must have been off.

20-12-2012, 07:57	#19
The Wizard Guest Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 10,516	Quote: Originally Posted by evil c After my Dad died I discovered about a dozen bottles of vodka, gin and whisky that were over 20 years old and unopened. Some of the bottles contents had evaporated and the spirits were slightly discoloured, but eventually I opened and drank them all with no ill effects. You should really drink the port soon as, unless it is a vintage port, it will have been sold to drink straight away. It probably won't go off but you have nothing to gain from keeping it. As regards the Remy Martin, that should be OK, but drink and enjoy it, it's good stuff! I have a feeling that this family are not drinkers otherwise they'd all be polished off by now. These were probably bought for other people to enjoy at Christmas or are probably left overs or gifts from other people which only get drunk by guests. Am I right?

21-12-2012, 00:44	#20
jsmith99 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 19,936	Quote: Originally Posted by Elanor Don't just pour away the cassis without checking it! It may be totally fine - try it! I'll wait till my wife opens a bottle of white, and she can try it with that. I've no idea how it's supposed to taste. Quote: Originally Posted by gemma-the-husky ............ port can go off....................... Quote: Originally Posted by evil c ............You should really drink the port soon as, unless it is a vintage port, it will have been sold to drink straight away. It probably won't go off but you have nothing to gain from keeping it............... The port hasn't been opened, so I'm hoping it'll be ok. I only like it with cheese after dinner. Which (the cheese) I don't have very often. Quote: Originally Posted by The Wizard I have a feeling that this family are not drinkers otherwise they'd all be polished off by now. These were probably bought for other people to enjoy at Christmas or are probably left overs or gifts from other people which only get drunk by guests. Am I right? Half right. I'm fond of half a bottle of wine or a lager with my dinner. And I have one or the other every night unless I'll be driving, I'm afraid. Spirits are different, though; we very rarely drink them. The port was a present, the reast, as you guessed, we buy for Christmas.

21-12-2012, 16:57	#22
dodgygeeza Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Manchester Posts: 6,151	Quote: Originally Posted by john176bramley We had 2/3rds of a bottle of whisky that had been hanging around for ages. I drank it one night and it seemed ok but I felt absolutely terrible the next day, it must have gone off. Quote: Originally Posted by Christian_Grey It's called a hangover I'm pretty sure that was a joke and it just went whoosh In a similar vein I always chuckle when someone says "Well I had six pints of beer, a bottle of wine and two shots and the shots made me sick/gave me a hangover!"

DS Forums

How long do open bottles of spirits last?

21-12-2012, 17:32	#23
Elanor Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 13,041	Quote: Originally Posted by jsmith99 I'll wait till my wife opens a bottle of white, and she can try it with that. I've no idea how it's supposed to taste. Nooooo! Don't waste a whole glass of wine by pouring in off cassis! Just pour a bit in a glass - it will be immediately obvious if it's off, it'll be all grainy and have sediment. If it's smooth, then it's fine.

22-12-2012, 17:11	#24
kate36 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 7,577	Quote: Originally Posted by gemma-the-husky full strength spirits will be OK, I am sure. stuff like baileys with cream in, is a bit dodgy. port can go off.. just taste the drinks though, as others have said i've had some ballycastle from aldi since last year and it tastes fine, no nasty after effects either i've got some single malt whisky and some brandy from last year as well, brandy tastes fine, most of it went in the xmas cake! i've not tasted the whisky, im assuming it will be ok i suppose fruit based spirits might be a bit iffy, smell and taste i've always found the best guide and appearance

23-12-2012, 13:49	#25
Beautiful_Harv Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 8,861	Quote: Originally Posted by Christian_Grey It's called a hangover