Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

For the sake of bribing necessary individuals if the need arises WTSHTF, I've seen recommendations in various places of putting together a liquor stash. Anyone know the approximate shelf life of various hard liquors if kept in a cool, dark place?

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

If well sealed, high-proof alcohol should be good for longer than you will be. If left in a poorly sealed decanter, half full, exposed to light, then some oxidation will occur and maybe some moisture pickup that will ruin it in a few years. Just keep it away from light and sealed, and it will outlast you and probably outlast your children.

Some wines don't age all that well. Depending on the wine, it can range from 15 to 50 years or so. Some wines can last longer.

Beer doesn't keep well at all. Maybe a year for most bear, 5 to 10 for barleywine.

I really don't know how long mead will keep.

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

Distilled spirits will last as long as you can keep your hands off of them.

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

I have been sitting on a bottle of Old Bushmills Irish since 1979, and it still looks great and amber clear in the bottle. I am waiting for the right reason to open the bottle, or the day before the end of the world.

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

and if the TSHTF people will be slaming them down the stiff ones until the bottels are dry



T

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

That's why I opened my last bottle of 1968 Pierre Ferrand Grande Champagne Cognac a month ago. Bottle #00130. It is far to good to slam it down. I want to enjoy it now while I can still do so in relative peace.

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

We opened and drank a bottle of rye from 1905, and the only problem was that the cork fell apart trying to open it. I think they keep wine bottles tilted so the cork stays wet.

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

I've made my own beer before, it was great. Beer without preservatives, produced at home though, I found wouldn't last longer than a few weeks at best. Best to brew it, let it sit for a couple of days and drink/share.

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

Classic !!!

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

I think once silver goes over $25 an oz. I am going to start spending my money on cheaper barter items like alcohol, condoms, rope, tarp, etc.

Alcohol might be the SAE of barter/bribe items. I'll have to start looking for sales.

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

Liquor stays pretty much forever,it may lose its flavor, but never its potency,for barter remember, dont worry about whay YOU like,get whats going to be in demand Jack Daniels is the gold bullion of liquor, followed by Jim Beam, the Canadian whiskeys will also be in high demand.Vodka ,tequila and then finally Gin is the order of value,stay away from peach schnapps or peppermint for your liquor stash, they only appeal to certain folks and arent neutral enough in flavor to be a flexible mix, id buy half gallons and pints,pints for direct trade, and half gallons for refilling smaller bottles.

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

Glass or plastic bottles? I trust glass more just because it has been around forever.:bear_w00t:

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

Glass is best.

All plastic bottles are somewhat oxygen-permeable. PET is the least permeable plastic, and is probably a pretty safe choice for long term storage, unless you are talking 25 years or more. This is the type of plastic that is used for carbonated beverage bottles, like 2 liter Coke. I really don't know what type of plastic is used for liquor bottles, but it is usually thicker than what is used for Coke bottles. It may be PET as well, just thicker.

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

190 proof is also a great antiseptic.

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

If I was buying booze for barter purposes, I would avoid the top shelf stuff like Jack Daniels. Choose lower-end Canadian whiskies or vodka. More bang for your buck, so to speak!

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

Actually, both if you can afford it. There will always be very wealthy individuals who will want the very best, especially in a post-SHTF time when no one else will have what they have. Put away a bottle of Louis XIII cognac and you may end up a very rich man. And to think you can get it now for no more than 1.5 to 2 oz of gold.

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

Don't forget to "store what you drink and drink what you store."

Re: Shelf life of alcoholic beverages
 

That's correct. You want the entire cork bathed when in storage so that it does not dry. Hence keep bottles stored longitudinally.