This is the key to the preservation of bitters. Alcohol acts as a natural preservative to a product; therefore, the higher the ABV, the longer the shelf life of the spirit. Although bitters most likely won’t go bad before you’re through with your bottle, their flavor and aromatics tend to break down over time.
So now that you know a bitter more about what bitters are, let’s finally get around to answering Sam’s question. The general answer is that bitters don’t go bad, with one exception that we know of.
Specifically, Fee Brothers brand bitters sometimes dissolve their flavors in glycerine and propylene glycol instead of ethanol. I don’t know much about these compounds, but google says they have 1-2 year shelf life.
In fact, most bitters tend to have an ABV of over 40 percent, the same as bourbon or vodka. This is the key to the preservation of bitters. Alcohol acts as a natural preservative to a product; therefore, the higher the ABV, the longer the shelf life of the spirit.
How long can you keep Marsala wine in the fridge?
The good news is that if you use that same Marsala to cook chicken Marsala with later, you’ll have a little wiggle room to let it sit for a month or two in the fridge. “The alcohol component is broken down and reduced, so as long as it isn’t completely oxidized, cooking with it is probably fine,” Montagano explains. The flavor just won’t be as bright. The same rule applies to that bottle of white wine sitting in the fridge for a few weeks—use it for clam sauce if it hasn’t turned!
Sherry is tougher to give a time frame on how long it can stay in the fridge, but it should definitely be cold as long as you have it. Montagano suggests buying a smaller bottle, like a 375 ml, to test out how much you’ll use it. Fortified wines typically last the longest — Pedro Ximenez, a hearty, sweet dessert Sherry, could go for three months—but some more delicate varieties like Fino could spoil after a week. The same applies to Port, another fortified wine.
Because one major ingredient in a negroni is going to spoil quickly if you don’t get it in the fridge, stat. Base spirits like vodka, gin, and whiskey—once you start making cocktails, you’ll start using phrases like ~base spirits~ too— don’t have to be refrigerated, but anything wine-based will oxidize and go rancid at room temperature.
Sharing is caring, don’t forget to share this post with friends !