How long do open bottles of liquor last?
Distilled liquors like rum, cognac, whiskey, and vodka are usually 80 proof or more, meaning 40% alcohol, which creates an environment inhospitable for the microbes that cause other things to go bad when exposed to air at room temperature. Presumably if you left the bottle uncapped you might have an oxidation problem, but this has not been the case for me — I have a well-stocked bar at home and I drink infrequently, so my liquor bottles stay “open” for long periods of time without going “bad” — I’m talking years, here. Lower-proof liqueurs like amaretto and bailey’s I have not had a problem with either, but they have a much higher sugar content than the “clear” liquors, combined with a lower alcohol percentage, which could conceivably lead to spoilage. But like I said, I have these in my bar without issue. Wines, however, do become oxidized quickly when opened. Open bottle of wines usually don’t last more than a few days. Expensive nitrogen-injecting machines are available to displac
