Does Alcohol Go Bad? The Definitive Booze News Guide

Hard fact: alcohol does not, in fact, last forever. We know, how could that be? Well, every day factors like temperature and the amount of sunlight a bottle gets can in fact change the flavor and amount of booze in the bottle. It’s science.

Related: Don’t be Gross: How Long to Keep Pantry Staples

So how fast should you be drinking? Look below for a list of how fast alcohol spoils, starting with the most sensitive. Then go to your bar, organize your booze, and throw a cocktail hour before it all goes to waste. [pagebreak]

Champagne

Protect the bubbles at all cost and drink it within 24 hours of opening it. (Who keeps champagne longer than this?)

Wine

Your call amigo. Some wines last a few days, some a few weeks. You gotta taste it. You’ll know it went bad cause it’ll taste tangy (and gross).

Tequila

Tequila is among the fastest to spoil. Once opened, you’ll want to drink it in two months or risk evaporation and oxidation.

Rum

As like most spirits on the list, you can keep it in a cool, dark place almost indefinitely. Once you open it, you have about three months before it dips below optimal flavor. [pagebreak]

Baileys Irish Cream

It has cream in the name, so no, it doesn’t last forever. But surprisingly, it lasts longer than tequila and rum. You have about 18 months before you should discard it.

Whiskey

We know, whiskey is supposed to be aged… but only correctly and unopened. Unopened, whiskey has the shelf life of honey (forever), opened it should be consumed within three to four months (if you have less than a quarter of a bottle) or within a year (if you have half a bottle or less).

Vodka

An un-opened bottle will last forever. Once you open it, it will start to evaporate and it won’t taste the same a few years down the line. Some companies recommend going through a bottle within two years.

Bourbon

There’s a ton of alcohol in bourbon so it will keep for a few years and even taste the same. Out of the light, you can hang on to it for about 10 years.