Can Hard Liquor Go Bad?

Hard liquor doesn'tspoil but its flavor and aroma may change.

Hard liquor or spirits are alcoholic beverages made from grain or fruit. They include whiskey, bourbon, Scotch, rum, tequila and vodka. Made of water, alcohol and flavoring, hard liquor never goes bad in the traditional sense.

Fermentation

Hard liquor starts as a mixture of water and grain or fruit mixed with yeast and then left to ferment. During fermentation, the yeast consume the sugars in the grain or fruit and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide as by-products. The resulting liquid has an alcohol content between 14 and 16 percent.

Distillation

During a process called distillation, the fermented liquid is placed in a device called a still and heated until it evaporates. The alcohol vapors are collected and cooled until they condense.The resulting liquid has an alcohol content between 40 and 75 percent.

Considerations

There is nothing in hard liquor that can "go bad." Properly stored, hard liquors can last for years or even decades. However, exposure to air, bright sunlight and extreme temperatures can change the the taste and aromatic qualities of liquor in opened bottles. Spirits that have lost some flavor can be used as mixers in cocktails, the taste of the alcohol will be covered by soda, juice or other mixers.

References

• "Plant Sciences"; Alcoholic Beverages; Robert S. Wallace; 2001
• "Encyclopedia of Food and Culture"; Alcohol; 2003
• "UXL Encyclopedia of Science";Alcohols; 2002
• Hotel Online:Pitch it or Pour it?