VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: Aleksandra Żyłowska-Mharrab, dietitian, food technologist, educator

Whether alcohol breaks down depends on its type, ingredients and ethanol content, i.e. alcohol. Ethanol itself never deteriorates. It is actually a food preservative and an anti-spoilage agent. So what's it like with alcohols? Can beer, wine or vodka go bad? How long can alcohol be stored after opening?

Can alcohol spoil? If your bar is full of all kinds of alcohol, you probably ask yourself this question sometimes. Or maybe you make wine or tinctures yourself and wonder how long you can store them?

Can strong alcohols spoil?

High-proof alcohols include vodka, whiskey, rum, tequilla, brandy or gin. Due to the content of concentrated ethanol, such alcohols never deteriorate - they do not mold, and they do not form undesirable chemical compounds responsible for the defects of alcoholic beverages. However, they may lose their quality over time.

Along with the tight closure of the bottle on the production line, alcohols such as vodka, whiskey or rum stop aging. So what about the noble, decades-old whiskey that you got from a friend? She spent these several decades aging in a barrel made of carefully selected wood, where she gained aroma and aged under control. Additional years in the original closed bottle do not affect its quality.

Vodka, gin or rum stored in a cool room with little light, in an originally sealed bottle, will never go bad. On the other hand,after opening, high-percentage alcohol retains its full value for up to 24 months . It does not deteriorate in the same way as food spoils - it does not rot, it does not rot. It only loses its taste and aroma, and sometimes its strength.

Due to the access of oxygen, high-percentage alcohols ventilate. The stronger the alcohol's aroma immediately after opening the bottle, the more noticeable the difference in taste and aroma over time.

Vodka, due to its simple composition and lack of aroma-imparting ingredients, retains its properties for up to 20 years after opening. As long as it is tightly closed. Ethanol is a volatile compound, which means it can evaporate from an open bottle. Over time, high-proof alcohol may lose some potencyby evaporating the ethanol.

Most whiskey professionals believe that an opened bottle of whiskey does not lose its value for about 1-2 years if it is at least half full. Whiskey spoils in about 6 months if there is 1/4 or less in the bottle. This is because the less whiskey in the bottle, the more oxygen there is. And the more oxygen, the faster it oxidizes and the faster the whiskey can deteriorate.

Can the liqueur break down?

Liqueurs also contain a lot of ethanol, which prevents them from spoiling quickly, but they are not as durable as vodkas and whiskey. Due to the addition of various ingredients, e.g. sugar, dyes, cream, they lose their quality faster. Opened liqueur is best for 6 months after opening the bottle. Cream and egg liqueurs are the least durable.

After opening, keep them in the refrigerator. Originally closed bottles of liqueurs with the addition of dairy products have the shortest shelf life in this group of alcohols. Usually it is 12-18 months. After this time, the creamy liqueur may weigh in.

In liqueurs with added sugar, it begins to precipitate over time, which is a product's disadvantage, but at the same time is harmless to he alth.

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Can wine spoil?

It is said that the older the wine, the better. However, this is a half-truth. The highest quality wines are actually produced in such a way that they acquire a noble aroma and bouquet of flavors over time. Most of the wines, however, are not noble. They are produced in such a way that they stay fresh for up to several years after bottling.

Red wines do not spoil up to 3 years. Whites are less durable and may spoil 2 years after bottling. Organic wines, produced without the addition of sulphites (preservatives), can be consumed safely for 3-6 months after bottling. Later, the risk of spoilage increases significantly. Light, heat and changes in temperature will shorten the shelf life of the wine. To avoid spoiling it faster, store the wine in a cool, dry and dark place.

Spoiled wine is primarily sour wine, with the smell and taste of vinegar. One of the drawbacks of wine is the formation of acetic acid in acetic fermentation, instead of ethanol in alcoholic fermentation.

Wine spoiled with vinegar is not harmful to he alth, but it is not suitable for drinking due to its taste. Darker than usual color should also attract attention, in red wines a slightly brown and earthy or nutty smell.

Once opened, the wine is exposed tothe action of oxygen, which significantly accelerates the aging of this drink. The wine retains its best qualities for 3-7 days from opening, corked and refrigerated. Sparkling wines spoil even faster. 1 to 3 days is enough for them to lose their aroma, especially gas.

Can the beer go bad?

Beer can go bad. The beers have a specific shelf life. This is 6-12 months for pasteurized beers and a maximum of 3 months for unpasteurized beers. Pasteurization is a process that uses elevated temperature to kill bacteria and fungi, extending the shelf life of food. Most of the beers from large producers are pasteurized. Craft breweries often offer unpasteurized beers.

The taste of beer changes after bottling. Contrary to high-percentage alcohols, after the bottle is closed, the beer undergoes numerous processes that affect its taste and aroma.

This means that when bought and drunk straight away, beer often tastes different from beer at the end of its use-by date. During storage, its numerous defects may arise, which, although not harmful to he alth, affect the taste sensations. Common beer defects that arise during spoilage are:

  • smell of wet cardboard - it results from the aging of the beer through oxidation.
  • skunk smell - this is the problem of beers in bright and green bottles that let the light through. Under the influence of UV radiation from light, whether it is daylight or artificial, the alpha-acids in beer are broken down and isomethyl mercaptan is formed, the smell of which is referred to as skunks. Keeping beer warm also accelerates the development of undesirable odors.
  • hardly perceptible hop aroma and / or the appearance of honey, fruit and sugar notes (unless of course it is the brewer's intention) are the result of storage in inappropriate conditions - at too high temperature, with too much light and in variable temperatures, alternately heated and cooled.
  • no foam - if after pouring into a glass, no foam is formed on the surface of the beer or it is very low, it is also a technological defect of the beer.

A beer with a defect can be drunk, although it will not necessarily be pleasant. There are times, however, that the beer is literally spoiled. Its taste is then sour or wine. These flavors may appear as a result of undesirable fermentation, such as vinegar.

If the beer, which is usually clear, looks cloudy, this is a clear sign of deterioration. The same is true when sediment or even floating "farfocle" are visible at the bottom of the bottle. These areexcessively multiplied bacteria or molds. We can deal with spoiled beer after exceeding the use by date or with technological errors - too much oxygenation, incorrect pasteurization, etc.

Not every type of beer loses its taste after the expiry date. Dark beers and beers with a higher alcohol content can be stored in cold, dark rooms for up to several years. Then they gain additional aromas, e.g. fruity. Beer should be stored standing up.

How long after opening the beer is it fresh? Open beer spoils quickly. Several hours after opening, it winds up and loses gas. If you want to drink them the next day, be sure to put them in the fridge.

Can homemade alcohol spoil?

Many people make wines and liqueurs for their personal use. Homemade alcohols are much more likely to spoil due to the conditions in which they are made. It is difficult to talk about the sterility of the bottles when bottling, or the avoidance of aeration.

Few people add sulfites to the wine, extending the shelf life of the drink. You can often find fault with the storage conditions - in rooms where it is too warm and too bright.

Homemade alcohol products are much more likely to develop mold, fungi and pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, it is always worth taking a good look at the bottle before you start drinking the drink and check whether the alcohol has become cloudy, has changed color, that nothing is floating in it, and that you do not smell sour or earthy smell.

Can spoiled alcohol make you sick?

The spoiled alcohol that can cause the greatest discomfort is beer. Beer can cause stomach discomfort if it becomes cloudy and has sediment. They can be pathogenic bacteria. Beer with a changed taste and smell does not cause any he alth problems.

Similarly, wine with a vinegar flavor. Although broken, it does not contain any ingredients that can make you sick. However, remember that drinking vinegar (and spoiled wine contains vinegar) can irritate the mucous membranes of the digestive tract.

High-proof alcohols do not really have an expiry date and do not spoil, so even if stored for years, they do not cause ailments, such as rotten or moldy food.

Remember that drinking too much alcohol, whether it is spoiled or not, is a risk factor for many diseases and can lead to addiction.

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