How long can hard liquor be kept once it is open?!
How long can hard liquor be kept once it is open?
Answers:
Alcohol is a preservative, so as far as being safe to drink, it will last indefinitely as long as it's tightly capped so that it doesn't evaporate.
Clear spirits (vodka, rum, etc.) generally don't have delicate flavors, so they will be good and drinkable for years and years.
Other spirits, especially tequila, can be susceptible to oxidizing and degradation of flavors after the bottle has been opened and exposed to air. Depending on the spirit and how strongly flavored it is, it can be anywhere from 6 months to 6 years for the taste to degrade...it will still be safe to drink, but not necessarily tasty as it was when freshly opened.
I think it has to be drunk within 4 hours of opening
I have had some cheap tequila that I rarely use for over a year now. I think pretty long as long as it has a top on, without a top it will evaporate.
It depends on the liquor... Vodka, rum, whiskey and the like should keep for at least a couple of years in a cool, dark place. Cream based liquors like Bailey's and Cask and Cream don't last very long at all - perhaps 6 months. These will likely have an expiration date on the bottle. Schnapps tends to degrade in color and flavor the longer you have them open as well. Cheers!
Usually around 3 hours tops around here. Oh.. you mean if you don't drink it after opening it?? Isn't that a party foul??
Use a decanter and it should last quite a while... at least a couple months without losing much flavor. but I don't touch that girly junk like schapps and irish cream so can't tell you anything about them.