tossing out liquor

[grasshopper]

My name is Grasshopper, and I am a reformed teetotaler. I was hitting the bottle pretty good until about age 50. Quit drinking totally for almost 10 years. On my 60th birthday I surprised my friends when I ordered a beer. Been downhill ever since. Nothing like being a vegan and sober, in cattle country.

 

[Major Tom]

Yes, "it is just booze", but we can say that about pretty much anything. Keep saying that and before long, we turn into monks and nuns. Might as well lock ourselves up in a hermitage.

Perhaps you're right. I'm heading out to Trader Joe's right now and just realized that a bottle of wine is on my list.

I can gve up any time I want. I know I can

 

[NW-Bound]

After a few glasses of wine for the Thanksgiving lunch, and making the post earlier in this thread, I did not have that shot of Cognac that I threatened to have.

I was so full from that meal that I ate very little for dinner last night, and nothing yet today. Am getting ready to go out to grill some burgers. Will not touch alcohol today.

 

[Nords]

On my 60th birthday I surprised my friends when I ordered a beer. Been downhill ever since. Nothing like being a vegan and sober, in cattle country.

What inspired you to start drinking again-- peer pressure?

 

[meekie]

The only alcohol that you should throw out is cream based stuff that's gone bad. (like Bailey's).

Some liqueurs like Chambord do lose their taste after a while, but still aren't bad for you.

We recently had to have a rule of no new alcohol bottles into the house, cause our "collection" got way over the 100 bottles that our bar holds comfortably. I'm super happy to say we finally cleaned up enough that we are allowed to buy again.

 

[Koolau]

By "it", I mean both the shot and the profundity coming from a fellow 17-year old.

Seems us 17 year olds were ALWAYS much more profound after a couple of shots. Go figure.

 

[Nords]

The only alcohol that you should throw out is cream based stuff that's gone bad. (like Bailey's).

How do you tell?

Serious question. It's not like bacteria or mold are able to grow in that alcohol-sterilized environment.

 

[grasshopper]

What inspired you to start drinking again-- peer pressure?

Who me!

 

[Bestwifeever]

How do you tell?

Serious question. It's not like bacteria or mold are able to grow in that alcohol-sterilized environment.

I always blamed hangovers way back when on alcohol gone bad.

 

[Amethyst]

Storing, Handling and Spoilage of Liqueurs

"There is a second class of liqueurs that bears some consideration - cream liqueurs and egg liqueurs. Despite alcohol's great disinfectant properties, every liqueur book I've ever read cautions people against trying to keep cream or egg liqueurs for more than a few weeks to a month, and then only in the refrigerator. I'm forced to make the same recommendation. Even with the alcohol, treat it like fresh milk or fresh eggs. If you would throw out milk that had been in your fridge for that long, you should throw out your liqueurs. So these should be made immediately before they are to be consumed. It is perhaps possible to keep cream liqueurs longer, but in order to experimentally determine how long they can last, I would be required to, on at least one occasion, consume spoiled cream or egg liqueur. And that I have no strong urge to do.
Again, commercial liqueurs last considerably longer. Eierlikör and Bailey's Irish Cream both have much longer shelf life than four weeks. But it is because they know what they're doing that they can get long shelf lives. As long as we're just puttering in our kitchens, we should be a good bit more careful."

 

[audreyh1]

Yikes I can't believe this isn't a spoof.

Opened wine has a limited life span but unopened I'd assume it is good for a long time.

Not really. European reds, yes. But most US reds are designed to be drunk within 10 years of release, and whites immediately - within 2 or 3 at most.

 

[audreyh1]

Seriously, many of the lesser wines and hard liquors make excellent deglazing liquid when you cook. I have a bottle of lesser quality brandy that I often use to make steak sauce.

The better stuff is of course saved for after dinner sipping.

Photo linked from Wikipedia:

That sure is purty!

I don't do after dinner sipping of my cognac, I only use it for cooking. But I do admit to sipping the cognac after soaking raisins in it for my apple strudel.

For the cooks out there: we don't drink white wine but I have several favorite recipes that call for it (a dry white). I have found dry vermouth to be an excellent alternative. It doesn't have to be refrigerated and keeps in the pantry a long time and has a convenient screw cap. And it never gives any funky "off" flavors that some whites seem contribute.

 

[Amethyst]

Based on a very small set of empirical data, I'm inclined to agree. In fact, I'd expand the set to include "inexpensive reds from anywhere." These seem to keep improving in storage for 6-8 years, then start to go downhill from there.

It's funny that I seem to have so much to say on the topic, when my total alcohol consumption is only about 2 glasses of wine/1 small glass of cordial per week. But Mr. A. drinks the hard stuff and I like to bake/experiment in the kitchen, so I'm quite sensitive to how ingredients taste and react with each other.

A.

Not really. European reds, yes. But most US reds are designed to be drunk within 10 years of release, and whites immediately - within 2 or 3 at most.

 

[Midpack]

Reading through this thread, I was quite surprised at the strong attachment many here are showing to alcohol. I don't think there would have been such a widespread show of dismay had the OP mentioned that he had discarded other possessions of equal value.

You might be very surprised regarding 'discarding other possessions of equal value'...it's a tight bunch here for the most part, not an indication of attachment to alcohol.

 

[veremchuka]

My comments are not from someone that drinks. I'm just surprised you'd toss liquor.

I seldom drink, a 6 pack could last me 6 months. I never liked drinking except for the 1st few times but getting sick was enough to curb my interest. I like a beer with a pizza but seldom drink more than 1.

Now I never got sick or hung over from pot or other "soft" drugs but that's another story. Now a days I actually drink more than smoke pot, an oz could last me 50 years today but 40 years ago just a week. TMI?

 

[Nords]

Storing, Handling and Spoilage of Liqueurs
"There is a second class of liqueurs that bears some consideration - cream liqueurs and egg liqueurs. Despite alcohol's great disinfectant properties, every liqueur book I've ever read cautions people against trying to keep cream or egg liqueurs for more than a few weeks to a month, and then only in the refrigerator. I'm forced to make the same recommendation. Even with the alcohol, treat it like fresh milk or fresh eggs. If you would throw out milk that had been in your fridge for that long, you should throw out your liqueurs. So these should be made immediately before they are to be consumed. It is perhaps possible to keep cream liqueurs longer, but in order to experimentally determine how long they can last, I would be required to, on at least one occasion, consume spoiled cream or egg liqueur. And that I have no strong urge to do.
Again, commercial liqueurs last considerably longer. Eierlikör and Bailey's Irish Cream both have much longer shelf life than four weeks. But it is because they know what they're doing that they can get long shelf lives. As long as we're just puttering in our kitchens, we should be a good bit more careful."

"Every book I've ever read"?

That's his rational scientific basis for his professional recommendation?!?

There would seem to be relatively straightforward tests for determining whether cream or egg substances are spoiled, and I suspect that those tests could be applied to other substances like Bailey's Irish Cream.

I'm surprised that Bailey's (and others) haven't put labels on their bottles like "Will survive the Zombie Apocalypse AND the Mayan Calendar without refrigeration".

 

[Bestwifeever]

Here you go:

Baileys shelf life

Baileys is the only cream liqueur that guarantees its taste for 2 years from the day it was made, opened or unopened, stored in the fridge or not when stored away from direct sunlight at a temperature range of 0-25 degrees centigrade.....

Under normal conditions of storage Baileys has a shelf-life of 24 months.

If you are concerned about a bottle of Baileys please check the Best Taste Before date on the bottle - all bottles carry a Best Taste Before date. This number is located on the bottom left hand side of the back label....

Baileys.com | Product & Company Information

 

[HFWR]

Solution: drink more often, or at least faster...

 

[Free To Canoe]

Here you go:

Baileys shelf life

Baileys is the only cream liqueur that guarantees its taste for 2 years from the day it was made, opened or unopened, stored in the fridge or not when stored away from direct sunlight at a temperature range of 0-25 degrees centigrade.....

Under normal conditions of storage Baileys has a shelf-life of 24 months.

If you are concerned about a bottle of Baileys please check the Best Taste Before date on the bottle - all bottles carry a Best Taste Before date. This number is located on the bottom left hand side of the back label....

I got a gallon bottle of Baileys for Christmas last year and I have been wondering about how long it will last. Thanks for the info. At the rate I have been drinking it, the bottle should last longer than I do.

 

[Walt34]

I got a gallon bottle of Baileys for Christmas last year and I have been wondering about how long it will last. Thanks for the info. At the rate I have been drinking it, the bottle should last longer than I do.

Well, you'd better speed up your consumption then!

 

[Bestwifeever]

That was a darned nice gift, Free to Canoe! Just send the leftovers to me.

 

[Nords]

Here you go:

I wonder what pathogens start growing after the "Best Taste Before" date... and how we'd be able to tell!

I suspect Baileys would outlast a Twinkie, but I'm not sure that I'd survive the research.

 

[UberTanker]

At an Irish wedding, a toast was given-"Gentlemen, please stand next to the one you love who has made your life bearable and worth living."....The bartender was nearly crushed to death.

 

[redduck]

I do not care about the other bottles, but the ones I highlighted above in red, as far as I am concerned, pouring them down the drain is a capital offense.

OK, I don't know how he did it but NW Bound highlighted VSOP in red (even though it doesn't show up in the quote above). So, I am drinking it knkow as weede speek (just kidding here). Anyhow, turns out the bottle had been opened and I don't recall opening it. Note to redduck: keep a closer on eye on the wife and the pool man. Further note to redduck: we don't have a pool. Anyhow, the box the bottle it came in states it's a "very fine cognac." And, apparently it was bottled in 1715 as that is the date on the box. Was that a good year for cognac?

 

[redduck]

I offer old liquor disposal, free of charge, and in an environmentally friendly manner...

HFWR, it that you standing and waving in front of my house?