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It’s raining out there and you opened your favourite whisky to pair with a delicious meal along with your partner or friend. Unless you are drinking in a group to get high (which is unhealthy and not promoted by Slurrp), it’s impossible to finish an entire bottle of blended beverages.
Often left unattended, the drink can be spoiled. If you have spent a good amount on whisky or scotch, you would want to preserve it and enjoy it in future on special occasions or when the weather seems perfect for it. Here is a quick guide for you to prevent the spirit from getting spoiled.
Seal The Bottle
Every time you pour the whisky or blended scotch into your glass, make sure to seal it tightly. This will prevent air from interacting with the spirit, oxidising it, and leaving it susceptible to spoilage. When you pour wine, oxidation helps to enhance the flavour, but inside the bottle, oxidation leads to spoilage of the spirit as it loses the aroma and flavour.
Store In A Cool Place
Don't leave the bottle sitting around. Put it away in a spot that's cool, dark, and dry. This helps keep the right temperature so the spirit keeps its smell and flavour. Direct exposure to sunlight or sources of heat can cause degradation of the beverage over time.
Use Wine Preservers
Yes, it might sound weird but many bibulous use wine preserves to keep their whisky and scotch eligible for drinking in future. They insert gas sprays in the bottles to prevent the oxygen from interacting with the spirit. But this technique is helpful if the bottle is partially full. The spray creates a protective layer like the Earth has its own and preserves the texture, taste, and aroma of the spirit.
Keep The Bottle Upright
Whiskeys and scotches are always kept upright unlike wine bottles, which are stored vertically to keep the cork moist. But you need to minimise the contact of spirits with the cap or cork. If it remains in contact with the seal, the taste of the beverage will start to deteriorate. It would not be the worst idea to keep it at its original spot where you have been hiding it and others for special occasions.
Avoid Fluctuations In Temperature
You need to store the bottle in a place where temperature is maintained. Whiskey, scotch, spirits, or any alcoholic beverage remain their best in a temperature-controlled environment. Fluctuations in the temperature cause the liquid to contract and expand (basic laws of chemistry), which can further hamper the aroma and flavours.
Consume As Soon As Possible
After you open a whiskey bottle, you have a good amount of time to drink it. You should finish it within a few months to a couple of years after opening depending on the whiskey brand and type. Spirits last longer than wines, but how long they stay good also depends on how much you've drunk since opening the bottle. The more empty the bottle, the more air gets trapped inside, which shortens how long it stays good.
Transfer Into A Small Container
To elongate the shelf life of whisky after the bottle has been opened, you need to minimise its contact with air. Hence, the next step should be to transfer it into a smaller bottle or container. You can find many such in shops. The glass containers look classy in your home bar and help you prevent your favourite spirit from spoiling even if you have drunk from the bottle a couple of times.
