You may be wondering whether that bottle of tequila at the back of your cupboard that has been lying there for months is still drinkable.
Does tequila have an expiration date? The good news is that tequila nearly never goes bad. While it is suggested that you consume it within one year after opening, it does not go bad beyond that. It may lose some of its quality over time, but it will not completely degrade like meals do.
Let’s study more about tequila and make sure you know all there is to know about its shelf life and how to keep it fresh.
Contents
How Long Does Tequila Last?
Tequila does not mature after it is transferred from the barrels to the bottle. This implies that an unopened bottle of tequila will last eternally. After the bottle is opened, it is ideal to utilize it within a year since that is when the quality is at its peak.
When you open a bottle of tequila, the air in it begins to oxidize it. This implies that the molecules in tequila progressively alter when they react with air, causing the taste to vary somewhat.
As a result, you should aim to utilize tequila within a year after opening it. But, most people will not mind waiting a little longer to drink it; it will only have a little different taste.
The way you keep your tequila will also affect how quickly it loses its quality. More on this in the next section, but there are methods to keep your tequila fresher for longer if you don’t believe you’ll appreciate it as much once it’s oxidized.
How Should You Store Tequila to Keep It Fresh?
Keeping tequila in a liquor cabinet is the ideal choice since you can maintain it at the proper temperature for tequila, which is 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a liquor cabinet, keeping it in a cool, dark spot (such as a pantry) would suffice.
Just make sure your tequila is stored in a temperature-controlled environment. It should not be stored in a location where temperatures change, such as above an oven or near a window. Taking this precaution will keep it fresh for a longer period of time.
After you’ve opened the tequila, make sure it’s firmly sealed every time you store it to keep it from oxidizing too soon. It will also keep out any potential pollutants, however it is quite unlikely that you would detect a contamination since it would be ineffective.
If you don’t anticipate drinking it often, try emptying your tequila into a smaller glass jar after it’s approximately halfway empty. Because there is more oxygen in the bottle, the alcohol oxidizes quicker, and when your tequila is halfway empty, there is more oxygen in the bottle. Pouring it into a smaller glass and securely closing it can reduce oxygen and keep your tequila fresher for longer.
How Do You Tell If Tequila Has Gone Bad?
Unless you have a keen sense of taste for tequila, it is unlikely that you will notice when it has gone bad. The only thing that changes while tequila ages is its flavor and scent. So poor tequila will just have a duller and less fresh flavor.
If you store tequila incorrectly and it has been exposed to a lot of temperature variations or oxygen, it will definitely be a bit more evident when it goes bad. It may have an unpleasant flavor or odor that differs significantly from what tequila should taste like. If this is the case, you should just discard it.
What Happens If You Drink Expired Tequila?
If you consume expired tequila, nothing will happen to you. The drink literally lasts forever and is almost hard to spoil. This implies that drinking outdated tequila will not hurt you or make you sick (unless you drink too much of course, but this doesnt have anything to do with it being expired).
Some individuals are pickier about the flavor of their tequila than others. If you are particularly sensitive to tastes and can perceive slight variances in taste, you may find that drinking really old tequila is unpleasant. As previously said, old tequila loses taste and changes with time, so if you aren’t a fan, you should either discard it or give it to someone else to consume.
Will Putting Tequila in the Freezer Prolong Its Shelf Life?
Tequila should not be kept in the freezer, according to experts. While you may believe it would help food last longer, it will just dilute the tastes. Additionally, tequila already has a very lengthy shelf life. This implies that freezing it isn’t really essential, and it might really cause more damage than good.
When you freeze tequila, the taste and aroma become less intense. This is due to the freezer making everything colder, therefore it is more difficult to discern diverse flavors on your tongue when something is cold.
If you don’t care about the flavor of your tequila and simply want it cool, you can surely put it in the freezer. But keep in mind that there are no genuine advantages to this, and tequila experts will undoubtedly look down on you for it. But it is all up to you, and if you don’t care, keep it cold.
Final Thoughts
Tequila is one of the most hardy beverages available, and it is quite difficult for it to go bad. It may taste less tasty if it has been improperly kept or is very old, but this does not imply that it is harmful to ingest.
We hope that this post has helped you learn more about tequila and that you now understand how to properly store it so that it stays fresh for a long time.