Author: Alex Thompson

9 Liquor Storage Ideas For Small Spaces

Not only does liquor make a unique decorative addition to a bookcase (or China cabinet, like in the photo above), but it’s also a surprisingly convenient storage spot. Unlike white wines and champagne, hard liquor can and should be stored at room temperature (yes, even vodka). Unlike with food, your primary concern doesn’t need to be the drink “going bad,” although that can happen with wine and some liqueurs. (If you’re drinking wine that has turned, you’ll probably know right away – it will taste like vinegar.) The greater issue is the deterioration of taste and quality. No one wants to be treated to a pricey bottle of booze, only for its quality to decline before you even get to try it. And if you don’t have a vintage sewing table on hand (who does, really?), don’t stress.

Buy smaller quantities when possible, especially if it’s a liqueur or something else you won’t use very much of at a time. And try not to leave the last couple of ounces by their lonesome – the less liquid in a bottle, the faster it will oxidize. Sommeliers often encourage storing bottles of wine on their sides, but for liquor, not so.

How to properly store alcohol at home

“Spirits do not require you to coddle them or monitor them, they are very hardy and will endure,” says Stuart Baxter, a global brand ambassador who works with a wide range of spirits, from Caorunn Gin to Phraya Rum. “Vodka can be kept at room temperature (and often is),” says Jonathan Hemi of Crystal Head Vodka. He prefers to store his bottle in the freezer “so it is always cold and ready to use.” Reiner recommends storing wine-based aperitifs—sherry, vermouth, port, Lillet—in the fridge to extend their life.

You could easily repurpose a side table, nightstand, or secretary desk to hold your liquor collection. You can’t exactly glue your glass bottles to your kitchen shelves for maximum stability, but you can be smart about where you choose to store them. Whether you’re a liquor connoisseur, self-proclaimed mixologist, or just a lover of fresh cocktails, you probably have at least a small collection of hard alcohol at home. Sealed bottles will weather temperature and climate fluctuations more easily than opened bottles. However, an opened spirit can survive for a relatively long time, as long as the cap is replaced securely. Similarly, Murphy Quint, head distiller and director of operations at Iowa’s Cedar Ridge, says the ideal conditions to store whiskey are “room temperature or slightly colder,” meaning 65–68°F.

Turn a console into a bar cart

Just keep it away from the window, and if you’re storing it in a kitchen cabinet, it’s best to pick one that isn’t right next to the oven. According to May, you can still enjoy your spirits at a cooler temperature. Turn a small, unused shelving unit into a cute stationary bar set-up. Just clear the shelves and add bottles of liquor, glasses, napkins, and cocktail mixers. Showcase your prettiest liquor bottles alongside your book collection.

1. While it won’t hurt you healthwise to consume, storing in a warm place can cause the liquor to oxidize more quickly and change flavors over time.
2. Sealed bottles will weather temperature and climate fluctuations more easily than opened bottles.
3. Stored in the right conditions—cool, dark, tightly closed—an opened, 80-proof-or-higher spirit bottle can be preserved for years, even decades.
4. Nix the reds and whites and use the shelf solely for the hard stuff.
5. However, “chilling your spirit in a fridge or freezer may change the flavor of the spirit, muting lighter notes and tones that would be present in a room-temp bottle,” he adds.

Most liquor has a high-enough alcohol content to be kept at room temperature, either in a cabinet or on a bar cart. Warm temperatures can speed up oxidation, negatively affecting the quality and flavor. It’s perfectly fine to chill your gin or tequila in the freezer before you drink it, but the cold temperature won’t extend the alcohol’s shelf life. But bottled spirits will be comfortable at a wider range, especially if they are stored away from direct sunlight and humidity. This is the golden rule for storing virtually all kinds of alcohol. You can dedicate the entire surface to your liquor display, or mix your bottles with other decorative elements like a vase, sculpture, or stack of books.

Store liquor in a secure spot

“Once you open a bottle of cream liqueur, you do not have to store it in the refrigerator, but doing so can help preserve the flavors for a longer period of time.” Storing spirits the right way is important to provide the best taste and experience. Typically, the label should tell you if refrigeration is necessary after opening, but there are other factors to consider when storing alcohol at home. Here’s a rundown of how to store different types of liquor and spirits, according to experts who work with them.

This is Why You Should Never Store Booze in the Freezer

However, “chilling your spirit in a fridge or freezer may change the flavor of the spirit, muting lighter notes and tones that would be present in a room-temp bottle,” he adds. “If your place is naturally on the high side of room temperature, that’s not a big deal,” May says. “But direct sunlight adds several degrees and can affect the color and flavor, causing it to taste oxidized or ‘cooked.’ Unlike wine, you should always store your bottles upright to maintain the integrity of the cork.” “Unlike wine, whisky does not change in the bottle, so as long as it’s stored correctly, there is no expiration data,” says Raquel Raies, national brand ambassador for The Macallan. And that a decanter is a beautiful way to showcase whisky, but not a suitable way to store whisky for longer periods of time as it will expose it to air and light.

Learn how long your favorite spirits will last, and whether they should be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature. If you like a blisteringly cold, super-strength martini, he says go for it. However, May says the differences will be more subtle with neutral spirits like vodka since the aromas they release in the glass are far less pronounced. This charming DIY project from A Beautiful Mess hits all those points. Not only does this liquor cabinet safely store all your alcohol, it doubles as stylish wall decor wherever you hang it. Open shelves in a kitchen or dining room are usually reserved for glassware and china, but why not add your fancy alcohol to the mix.

“I’ve got several bottles of single malt in various cellars that I’ve had open for 25 years and they’re just about as good as I remember when I opened them,” says Lumsden. Kirsten Nunez is a writer who focuses on food, health, and DIY. She has been writing professionally for nearly 10 years and has contributed to digital and print publications such as Martha Stewart, Shape, Real Simple, Healthline, and SELF. She also creates original recipes, which have appeared on product packaging in stores. Tips, tricks, and endless ways to make more space in your life. After all, who doesn’t love to sip a glass of whiskey while curling up with a good book?

This wine barrel converted into a liquor cabinet by Instructables:

You can easily wheel it between your kitchen and dining room whenever you need to mix a fresh cocktail. IKEA’s Raskog utility cart makes the perfect liquor storage solution. It’s attractive, sturdy, and big enough to accommodate your liquor collection without taking up too much space. It’s no-brainer storage, plus it adds a fun stylistic element to what could easily be a very plain shelf set-up.

For common distilled spirits, such as whiskey, vodka, gin, rum and tequila, the general rule of thumb is to store them at room temperature. Though some experts say the ideal range is slightly lower, between 55 and 60 degrees. As temperatures rise, the alcohol begins to expand and can evaporate more quickly. While it won’t hurt you healthwise to consume, storing in a warm place can cause the liquor to oxidize more quickly and change flavors over time. If your bottles sit on a bar cart, make sure they’re out of direct sunlight. While UV rays won’t spoil liquor, extended exposure to the sun has a similar effect to storing at high temperatures (speeding up the oxidation process).

“Home storage of distilled spirits is a constant competition between convenience and preservation,” said Allen Katz, co-founder of New York Distilling Company. Even if you don’t have a wine cellar, there are some basic guidelines for how to (and how not to) store alcohol at home. “Avoid direct sunlight as well as temperature variations,” says Hendrick’s Gin ambassador Mark Stoddard. “Light from lamps or fixtures will not affect the liquid.” Store gin at a little cooler than room temperature, if possible. “We’ve done in-house shelf life testing on our Bali Hai Tiki Monkey, and found that the intended flavors are lost after a year,” says Gwen Conley, director of innovation for Cutwater Spirits.