Storing vodka?

I'm not much of a liquor expert and I was wondering about the best way to store an opened bottle of vodka at home. My wife thinks it best to keep it in the freezer (it doesn't freeze), but last time we did this the vodka turned undrinkable. Any suggestions or hints?

[escondido123]

You can keep it in the cupboard or the frig just fine. That's where I keep mine depending on how I'm going to drink it. No need to keep it in the frig unless you are planning on doing shots.

[BDD888]

I guess the same goes for any kind of spirits (e.g. rum, gin, vodka...storing it in the cupboard or typical kitchen fridge). Can you leave them out in the open at room temp? Though, Lillet is considered a wine so I suppose that should be put in a wine fridge.

Btw...this is for Canadians living in Toronto...I'm looking to buy a bottle of Smirnoff No.21 but the LCBO website doesn't list it. Odd. They carry pretty much ever other Smirnoff Vodka product. Does any one know where I can find it?

[zin1953]

Liquor, aka distilled spirits (as opposed to liqueurs) can be kept ALMOST indefinitely . . . opened/unopened . . . in a cool, dry space. It doesn't need "cold." It doesn't even need "cool," other than to avoid "warm" or "hot." A cabinet in the kitchen, or under the bar is fine.

The aromatics of liqueurs, typically lower in alcohol, are more delicate. The longevity of their "shelf life" is shorter, but they too can be stored at room temperature.

I *do* store my Hanger One vodkas -- Buddha's Hand, Mandarin Blossom, Spiced Pear -- in the freezer. Then again, I do (most often) drink them straight. Vodka for mixing is stored in the cupboard with the whiskies, gin, brandies, etc.

[EWSflash]

Your wife is right. Unless you're an aficionado of warmed vodka. I like to put sliced/diced fresh fruit in a glass, cover it with tequila, heat it in the microwave for 45 seconds, stir, and enjoy the essence of the fruit infused into the liquor. It's great.

Thanks for all the helpful and humorous responses. I think it was just probably a bad bottle of vodka. Here's to storing some internally!

Ethan, I've been storing vodka in my freezer for years and years, many varieties, never with a problem. Was your bottle TIGHTLY capped? Was anything--water?--added to the vodka? I'm mystified. It's the best way to store vodka, but not the only way. You can keep it pretty indefinitely in a cool dark place.

[BDD888]

I'm also new to vodka. What is the best way to store a bottle unopened or opened? In a wine fridge at 13C? Wouldn't storing it in a freezer be too cold? And would this apply to Gin and Lillet?

I always have a couple of opened bottles of vodka in my freezer, and find it extremely drinkable.

Link: http://dcinsideout.blogspot.com/icook

Ethan, the best way to store Vodka is the way the Russians do: Internally.

That may be true, but what you get out after internal storage really is undrinkable.