Do you enjoy drinking high-quality tequila? Who doesn’t! Unfortunately, finding a good tequila is not exactly a walk in the park. (*)
You’ll have to go through lots of garbage tequila before you can find the only good tequila that you will want to enjoy for the rest of your life.
But should you stock up on your favorite tequila? Wouldn’t it be such a waste if those bottles were to go bad?
Or better yet, is there a way on how you can extend its shelf life? What’s the best way on storing tequila? Should you store tequila in the freezer?
Read on to find out!
Can Tequilas Go Bad? How Long Does It Last?
Before we answer if high-quality tequila can be frozen, let’s first address this issue—can tequila go bad?
Since it’s hard liquor, tequila is one of the alcoholic drinks with a very stable shelf life, which can last long. Therefore, if you happen to chance upon an old bottle of tequila that has been sitting in your pantry for many years already, it’s still safe for consumption provided that it’s still unopened.
However, this isn’t the case with an opened bottle of tequila. This is because you expose tequila to oxidation and evaporation when you open it which will cause the gradual degradation of the quality and flavor of your good tequila.
Once opened, you can only enjoy high-quality tequila at its finest within 3-6 months. So while it’s still safe for consumption, you may no longer be able to enjoy its taste when you drink it beyond 6 months after opening the bottle.
So can tequila go bad? When it remains unopened and stored correctly, the chances of tequila going bad are pretty low. When opened, its quality will deteriorate after 6 months, but it’s still safe for consumption—as long as it’s handled properly.
Learn more: Does Tequila go Bad? How To Tell
Can You Freeze Tequila?
Most people would want to preserve the quality of their favorite tequila as much as possible. Because of this, putting tequila in the freezer seems like the best option. But should you store tequila in the freezer?
Yes, you can store tequila in the freezer, BUT this option is not recommended. If you’re drinking garbage tequila and want to make it ice cold, you can do so. However, freezing is not the best option for high-quality tequila.
This is because the freezer can alter or destroy the aromas and components tequila is known for. When stored in the freezer, tequila will get too cold, and you can no longer smell its aroma, which plays a vital role in how tequila tastes.
If you want to enjoy the components and aromas tequila is made of, drinking it at room temperature is the way to go. Placing tequila in the freezer should be avoided. This is true even if you’re drinking garbage tequila.
How to Store Tequila the Right Way
If you can’t place tequila in the freezer, how should you store it? To minimize the chances of the tequila going bad, you need to learn how to store it properly. Here are some of the tips on how to do that:
1. Tightly seal the bottle.
Tequila is a hard liquor made from the fermented juice of blue agave. After distillation, this liquor contains 40% alcohol by volume.
It’s best to take note that alcohol evaporates a lot faster than water. So when you don’t tightly seal the bottle, there’s a high chance that its alcohol content will evaporate, and you’ll be left with a milder tequila over time.
2. Store the bottle (opened or unopened) in a dry, dark, and cool place.
The rule of thumb when storing most liquors is to keep them cool. This is because higher temperatures may cause the alcohol to expand and evaporate a lot faster. For example, tequila’s ideal storage temperature range is at room temperature or between 55 and 60 degrees.
The bottle must also be stored away in a dark place—away from the sun and light. The effects of exposure to sun and light are almost the same as exposure to high temperatures. In addition to evaporation, sunlight exposure may also cause oxidation.
With these guidelines in mind, the best storage place for your tequila will be no other than your kitchen pantry or cabinet.
3. Pour the remaining tequila into a smaller bottle.
If you couldn’t finish the entire bottle and there’s only half a bottle (or so) left, you should transfer the remaining contents to a smaller bottle.
This is because the more air there is in the bottle, the faster the evaporation and oxidation will occur, causing the quality of the tequila to deteriorate rapidly.
4. Make sure that the bottle is upright.
When it’s stored horizontally, the liquor will have prolonged contact with the bottle’s cap, which may lead to corrosion. This will have a negative impact on the liquor’s taste and quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
As per the manufacturer’s official website, Tequila Rose doesn’t have a specified shelf life.
Storing Tequila Rose is pretty simple. You just need to store it in the fridge.
This is because even though Tequila Rose contains tequila, these alcoholic drinks are not the same. Tequila is hard liquor, while Tequila Rose is a cream liqueur mixture of strawberry dairy cream and tequila. Since it contains dairy, it’s not recommended to be left at room temperature.
Here are the telltale signs of spoiled tequila: off smell and flavor and murky appearance. If your tequila showed any of these signs, discard it right away.
As mentioned, it’s not a wise move to store tequila without a cap because it will lose its alcohol content.
If you accidentally did this and didn’t want the tequila to be put to waste, the best thing that you can do is add the tequila to cocktails like margaritas and tequila sunrise.
You can even add ice and blend it into frozen cocktails like frozen margaritas and many more. Another option is to add salt and lime to make up for the lost taste.
Final Words
Storing tequila is not a difficult puzzle to solve. Like any hard liquor, it has a stable shelf life and won’t go bad quickly if it’s stored properly.
But should you put tequila in the freezer? Of course, you can, but you shouldn’t store tequila in the freezer if you want enjoy the aromas and components tequila is known for. If you won’t be drinking it anytime soon, storing it at room temperature in your pantry is the best option instead of storing tequila in the freezer.
For best results, follow all the storage tips we’ve shared with you so you can enjoy good tequila for longer!
