3 LITER AND UP EXTRA LARGE BOTTLE

These larger sizes are mainly used for special occasions, such as weddings and parties, where a 1,500 to 4,500 ml bottle is great for large cocktail recipes or numerous cocktail pours. These liquor bottles are also commonly given as gifts during celebrations and holiday seasons.

Question: We’re cleaning out our pantry and found some old, open bottles of rum, gin and other spirits. Are they still safe to drink?

Answer: Alcohol has long been celebrated as a great preservative; most spirits don’t go bad, in the sense that they continue to be safe to drink in moderation. They do lose flavour intensity and alcoholic strength over time, so that dusty bottle of tequila left over from your Cinco de Mayo party in 2017 will likely taste different from a newly opened one, but it isn’t generally considered dangerous.

Spirits above 80 proof don’t expire

Spirits above 40-per-cent abv (80 proof) don’t expire. Anything that’s been distilled, such as gin, vodka, rum, tequila or whisky, stops aging once it’s been bottled. Most brands are best enjoyed in the first year. That said, properly stored, factory-sealed bottles can be comparatively fresh even 10 years after release, meaning their aromas and flavour intensity will be relatively unchanged.