Stashed Away - Storing Alcohol Safely At Home

If you’ve bought alcohol before, chances are, you were unable to finish them in one sitting. That’s normal. Even after a house party, your friends might feel too buzzed to finish off that last bit of whiskey you have on your shelf. Some even tell you they’re not going to drink at all, because they need to drive.

Storing alcohol is something common that we find ourselves doing once we get in the habit of buying our own bottles. While it’s not something that we actively do everyday, storing alcohol the wrong way can lead it to turn bad.

In fact, unopened bottles and opened bottles should be stored differently. Due to oxidation, opened wine can deteriorate over time and lose its flavour and colour. Therefore, certain spirits and wines should be refrigerated once opened.

Storage Temperature

Distilled spirits

For most distilled spirits such as vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, and tequila, they should be stored at room temperature. Keeping them in a cool place does preserve them a little longer, though putting them in a freezer or refrigerator does not extend their shelf life by a drastic amount. Rather, most people put their alcohol in the freezer because they want to serve it chilled.

Fortified wines

The only exception to this rule are fortified wines, such as vermouth, or cream-based liqueurs, such as Bailey’s Irish cream. Most other spirits contain enough alcohol content to be kept at room temperature. However, they should not be exposed to direct sunlight as this would speed up the oxidation process.

Storage Locations

So now that you have an idea on how to best store your alcohol, the next question is: where do you store it? Here we have some suggestions on how to turn even the simplest corner of your room to a mini bar.

Bookshelves

If you want to keep your alcohol close by but still making sure it’s in a safe spot, why not make some space for it in your bookshelves? Placing it alongside your books not only spices up your bookshelf by giving it a new look, but is a convenient yet effective way to store your alcohol. You can even enjoy a sip or two during your reads. Just make sure you don’t go overboard drinking when you should be working!

Open kitchen shelves

The kitchen may seem like the most obvious place to store your spirits, but how often do you actually put thought into how you could go about doing it?

Why not keep your bottles on display with the use of open kitchen shelves, lending it a mini-bar vibe. Your guests are sure to be impressed by your collection when they pop by for a visit, even if they are half-empty bottles. Just be sure the shelves are either faced away from the sun, or far enough from the windows to be situated in a cool place.

Bar cart

Be it a bar cart or a coffee cart, carts can make a great stand to place your leftover alcohol bottles. You may not even necessarily need to splurge money to afford one! Just get an old cart and spruce it up with a new coat of spray paint. Place it in your living room to have a nice alcoholic companion while watching your shows or entertaining guests!

Wall-mounted rack

Another great way to store and display your alcohol collection is to mount a rack on the wall and place your bottles on there. The best thing about this is you can go crazy with the design! Whether you decide on a simple horizontal shelf, some staggered displays, or even a boxed rack, you can.

Wire mesh basket

This may sound funny, but wire mesh baskets can make for a cute accessory to hold those spirit bottles. Whether you want to keep some in your bedroom, your living room, or your kitchen, a wire mesh basket will work well anywhere and look sweet while doing so.

Stock Up on Your Stash

Is your alcohol stash running low? Fortunately, here at Cellarbration, ours never is. With our wide selection of alcohols, find your favorites and stock up on them at home with these new storage ideas. We make your money worth with our latest promotions and free alcohol delivery service for all orders above $99. Time to celebrate!