Does liquor go bad?

[MamaMia]

I'm getting ready for the holidays and was thinking about refreshening up my liquor cabinet. I have a whole tall boy full of liquor. Some of the bottles are about 5 years old and some are even opened. I also have alot of liqueurs, like Cointreau, Baileys, Curacao, Drambuie, Lady Godiva chocolate liqueur and etc. Do they ever go bad?

[StoopTroup]

Yes.

PM me and I will come over and help you dispose of those dangerous enviromental hazards.

I'm licensed for such things. :D

[mdklatt]

Alcohol is already something gone bad, so I would guess "no".

[BigRedJed]

If you have that much liquor that is that old, you're doing it wrong.

[OUDoc]

No bad liquor, only bad people. ;)

I might worry a little about the Bailey's.

[Boomer.....]

alcoholic beverages, like all food, have inherit properties to go bad. There are sugars in alcoholic beverages that bacteria feed on and will turn something bad when the alcoholic beverage is first exposed to oxygen (IE opened the first time). Wine gets converted to vinegar (acetic acid) Beer changes due to the small yeast content that was used to ferment it in the first place. Alcoholic beverages of greater than 50 proof (25% alcohol content) inherently retard the growth of bacteria due to the high ethanol content. Therefore, the short answer is: It depends. Hard liquor will most likely last much much longer than the less alcoholic drinks.

A couple of things to watch for:

1) Different smell of the beverage, if it's got a different smell, its probably bad.

2) Precipitation, Also known as "floaties": If the liquid is no longer clear then its probably bad.

3) Taste: If its really old give it a sip to make sure it has the same flavor.

I bet the flavored liquors are probably bad if they have been around for 5 years.

[StoopTroup]

Seriously...

I would be careful of the Bailey's and anything with creme...

Drambuie and Cointreau is probably OK.

I'm not sure about the Curaco or the Godiva.

You could ask the folks at the liquor store about shelf life I'm sure.

[MamaMia]

I just tested the Lady Godiva. It seems just fine to me. I think I'll drink it up this week, just in case. I'll go ahead and get started on that right now. :P

[Penguin]

Which ones have been opened?


I would at least pour the Bailey's in a shot glass and let it sit for a while. If there's junk floating around, then it's probably bad.

[IB4OU2]

I just tested the Lady Godiva. It seems just fine to me. I think I'll drink it up this week, just in case. I'll go ahead and get started on that right now. :P

Uh Oh......bottoms up! :D

[StoopTroup]

Cheers! :D

[booomer]

All liquor goes bad if you drink to much! :D

Personally, I would replace it just for peace of mind if nothing else.

[olevetonahill]

Ive never let any sit around that long
I did let some moonshine age 2 days once tho ;)

[OklahomaRed]

Once you get above a certain alcohol content, most bateria can not live in that environment; however, I'm quite sure a liquor taste expert would tell you that oxygen can ruin the taste of many finer wines, etc. I say drink it, and let the rest of us know? If we don't hear back from you, then I guess it went bad!!! :D

[MamaMia]

Which ones have been opened?


I would at least pour the Bailey's in a shot glass and let it sit for a while. If there's junk floating around, then it's probably bad.
Done. The opened bottles that are 3 to 5 or 6 six years old are the premium Margaritaville tequila, both the Blue and Orange Curacao, the Kahlua, Bacardi 151, Courvoisier, the Roses of Lime juice and one Meyers rum that I just found.

Its a miracle that bottle of Meyers was still there. :D

[Penguin]

I seriously doubt the 151 will go bad. :D

[MamaMia]

I seriously doubt the 151 will go bad. :D
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y86/OUmom/little_devil_winks.gif If I would have known that was there, I would have taken it into the stadium real sneaky like.

[GottaHavePride]

The only one in that list I'd be at all concerned about is the lime juice stuff. Considering good tequilas, brandys, and rums are supposed to age for over a decade, I don't think the stuff will go bad. Heck, I can go to the store and buy a 50-year-old bottle of scotch if I want to drop $300 on it. I wouldn't worry.

[SicEmBaylor]

This makes me want to age my Zima for a few years for an even better drinking experience.

[Penguin]

This makes me want to age my Zima for a few years for an even better drinking experience.

Zima is sealed so aging prolly doesn't mean a thing.

[olevetonahill]

This makes me want to age my Zima for a few years for an even better drinking experience.
Youd be better off to pour that shat out , Then refill the bottles with Real booze :cool:

[BeetDigger]

Uh Oh......bottoms up! :D


The glass or OUSAEMOM?

[olevetonahill]

The glass or OUSAEMOM?
Now that we would definately need PICs of :eek:

[tbl]

Baileys will definitely go bad, just read the label. It's made with real cream, so it will eventually go bad. They recommend putting it in the fridge after opening it & not keeping it more than 60 days or so (I can't remember what the days are, and mine is upstairs in the fridge).

[MamaMia]

Thats right about the Baileys. We just got back from the liquor store and the lady said not to chance the Baileys and Kahlua, but that the Curacao would be just fine. By the way, Chambord has a holiday special. You get tee martuni glasses when you buy a medium sized bottle. Actually, they're very pretty.

I found a great site for Godiva recipes...yummy. :)

http://www.liqueur-drink-recipes.org.uk/godiva/02-godiva-chocolate-liquer-recipe.htm

[whatsername]

My mom got sick on Bailey's once... she left it out all night and drank it anyway. Ugh. I guess she thought the alcohol would kill the germs. She was puking and everything. I felt bad for her. :(

[OUDoc]

If Mom's house is anything like my parents' house, that liquor was all replaced by water years ago.

[OUinFLA]

This makes me want to age my Zima for a few years for an even better drinking experience.

yeah, like a bottle of zima has a chance of lasting even two days in your possession.
You're the reason the company is still in business.

[MamaMia]

If Mom's house is anything like my parents' house, that liquor was all replaced by water years ago.My son did confess recently that he and his buddies would drink and then dilute the liquor. For years, every time I made cocktails for my friends they would keep pouring more booze into their glasses. I honestly thought my girlfriends were lushes. :P

[OCUDad]

Zima is cr*p so aging prolly doesn't mean a thing.Fixed.

[whatsername]

If Mom's house is anything like my parents' house, that liquor was all replaced by water years ago.
This reminds me of a story...

In high school, we went to Six Flags for our senior trip. I decided I would spike a bottle of pop with some vodka and replace what I took with water. On the trip, when I drank some that pop, I couldn't taste any alcohol. I don't remember now if I drank it anyway or if I tossed it, too long ago.

Fast forward about twenty years...

My mom told us a story about a relative who came to stay with us for a few weeks. He was apparently sneaking into the vodka.

I had spiked my pop with water!!! :rolleyes:

[Okieflyer]

I don't know, but I do know that some liquor never goes good. :O

Boonesfarm, mad dog...nope, not good, noooottt ggooooddd!:(

[olevetonahill]

I don't know, but I do know that some liquor never goes good. :O

Boonesfarm, mad dog...nope, not good, noooottt ggooooddd!:(
Mad Dog got its name For a REASON :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
Drank it once in college . Never again

[MamaMia]

This reminds me of a story...

In high school, we went to Six Flags for our senior trip. I decided I would spike a bottle of pop with some vodka and replace what I took with water. On the trip, when I drank some that pop, I couldn't taste any alcohol. I don't remember now if I drank it anyway or if I tossed it, too long ago.

Fast forward about twenty years...

My mom told us a story about a relative who came to stay with us for a few weeks. He was apparently sneaking into the vodka.

I had spiked my pop with water!!! :rolleyes:Did you sneak the water that you thought was vodka?

[BeetDigger]

Did you sneak the water that you thought was vodka?


How many drinks have you had tonight? :texan:

[olevetonahill]

How many drinks have you had tonight? :texan:
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
My thoughts , Mom has lost here reading comprehension ;)
But I still love her :cool: