How Long Does Rye Whiskey Last?

Ever gazed upon that dusty, half-open bottle of booze from two Christmases ago and thought, ‘Darling, are you still good, or have you gone over to the dark side?’

Well, my spirited friend, you’re not alone. Dive into this intoxicating read as we uncork the truth about the shelf life of your favorite libations once they’ve been greeted by the outside world. Cheers to knowing when to sip or skip!

How Long Does Rye Whiskey Last?

It depends on how much exposure it has had to air, light and heat. So once you open it, the durability drops dramatically. Let’s talk unopened vs. opened.

How Long Does Rye Whiskey Last If It Is Unopened?

Rye Whiskey and other types of hard liquor have a low sugar content and high alcohol content. Alcohol kills bacteria, so these spirits tend to last a very long time if unopened. There’s no real expiration date on an old bottle of hard liquor.

How Long Does Rye Whiskey Last Once It Is Opened?

Generally speaking, about 1 to 2 years. Again however, this depends on exposure to light, air and extreme temperatures.

The lower the level of remaining liquor in the bottle, the more air is in the bottle and the faster it will degrade. So if you have an unloved bottle or two with an eight of an inch left at the bottom, use it up or toss it out!

Note: For hard liquors, when we say “degrade” we’re mostly talking about flavor and color. Even old, opened liquor is typically safe to drink, but it might no longer be pleasant.

Here Is What You Can Do With That Aging Alcohol:

He has a recipe in the video, but you can really put whatever you want in Jungle Juice and it will taste pretty good.

Other Recipe Ideas For Rye Whiskey

Classic Manhattan

Ingredients:
2 ounces rye whiskey
1 ounce sweet vermouth
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
1 maraschino cherry

Instructions:
1. Pour the rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice.

2. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass.

3. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

4. Enjoy!

Rye Whiskey Old-Fashioned

Ingredients:
3 ounces rye whiskey
1 sugar cube
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
2 orange slices
1 maraschino cherry

Instructions:

1. Place a sugar cube in a rocks glass and saturate with Angostura bitters.

2. Add a slice of orange and a maraschino cherry to the glass.

3. Muddle the ingredients together.

4. Fill the glass with ice cubes and pour in the rye whiskey.

5. Stir and enjoy!

Sources

https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/not-all-alcohol-gets-better-age