To refrigerate or not.......

[little ms foodie]

Thanks to my husband- TallDrinkOfWater - we have many many bottles in our very small house. These liquor bottles fight for space with my wine bottles and our wine fridge and regular fridge can't accomodate everything!!

What has to be refrigerated?? Vermouth? Maderia? obviously anything we want to serve cold like Lillet but what about the rest? Your imput please

[eje]

Well, obviously, most liquors and liqueurs do not need to be refridgerated.

Unfortunately, cream liqueurs should be refridgerated after opening, and then disposed of within 6 months or so. It's also not a bad idea to refridgerate home made liqueurs and infusions after opening, I find they last longer that way.

I don't think Sherry or Madeira need to be refridgerated. They are both already so oxidized, what could change? Not sure about port.

Depending on how much vermouth you go through, it's not a bad idea to keep it refridgerated or even use those vacuum wine caps thingies. It will just taste better.

[thirtyoneknots]

Cream liqueurs do not necessarily need refridgeration from what I know. Bailey's promotional material actually makes a point to note that the whiskey will preserve the freshness naturally and refridgeration is unnecessary. Two items though: I have heard of it going bad or clotting in the bottle (though the bottle may very well have been 20 years old) and also I have never seen any other brand make this claim. I always refridgerate it just for good measure and also because I like it cold, on the rare occasions that I drink the stuff. In fact just he other day I emptied my bottle of Carolans, probably about a year old, and it was still fine. Drank it over crushed ice for dessert one night.

That said, I'd rather buy more Benedictine than replace the irish cream ;-)

-Andy

PS: Oh yeah, wine. I have heard that dry vermouth will oxidize alarmingly fast, and have actually opened brand-new vermouth bottles and had it pour light brown. I personally always refridgerate Vermouths and their ilk (Lillet, Dubonnet, etc). I also read recently that Fino sherry will benefit from refridgeration whereas other sherries do not need it. I don't know if this is true but I do it anyway.

[Marlene]

Definitely the cream liqueurs. I always refrigerate cream sherries, but not dry ones.

[little ms foodie]

good info! we don't usually have cream liquors so that is ok- never have refrigerated the baily's and have never had a problem but I was really unsure about the vermouths and he has SO many!!! but I'll give him some space!

[limewine]

Vermouth--both sweet and dry--do degrade rapidly after opening. Kept refrigerated and with a vacuum seal, they're best used within two months; otherwise, their flavor is off within a month.

Old dry vermouth is still useful for deglazing a pan, and I like it for steaming mussels and clams--gives the dish a nuttier, more herbaceous flavor than you get when just using white wine.

[Snowy is dead]

I was always under the impression that fino sherry was served chilled. At least that is how it is requested by the people that order it at my bar.

I too have had a bottle of baileys clot, but it was pushing 40...no surprise there.

I have also read about the oxidation of vermouth on this forum, and have taken to buying 375s or smaller when possible to avoid the bad thing from happening.

Sean

Edited December 19, 2006 by Snowy is dead (log)

[Danne]

I´ve never had my Bailey´s or Dooley´s in the refrigerator, I always keep them both in a shelf. Never had a problem with them and they´ve both lasted more than a year for me. I've often heard that I should keep them cold, but I don't think it's necessary.