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One of the best things about being an adult is having a liquor cabinet.
Not just a few pints stashed away atop a refrigerator, but a proper piece of furniture -- or at least a designated shelf -- to keep one's array of bottles, glassware, shakers and swizzle sticks. However, many of us shove and stack and forget about that old quart of Kahlua or the sticky shot glasses and ruin the whole effect.
In order to reap the full Nick and Nora je ne sais quoi from your liquor cabinet, you also must do a little maintenance at least every six months.
Slashfood's tips to cleaning up your liquor cabinet after the jump.
Check the Bottles
Make sure the caps are on tight, and remove anything that's gone bad. If you haven't opened it, it should keep indefinitely. However, once you crack the cap, the clock is ticking. Spirits will begin losing their charm in about a year; liqueurs have about 6 months. Oh, they'll still be drinkable, but a bit of the bloom will be off the rose.
Check the Location
Cream-based liqueurs like Bailey's or Godiva need to be refrigerated after opening and even then only last about a month or two. Even left closed, things can get dicey after about 12-14 months unrefrigerated, so check the bottle first. Yes, scientists have been working on this problem. Things like Rose's Lime are also best kept cool and, for the love of all that is holy, refrigerate garnishes once opened!
Check the Temperature
Heat is bad for liquor, so make sure your storage is not too near the stove, heater or any particularly tropical patches of direct sunlight.
Clean the Glasses
There is no greater puncturing of your suave James Bond bubble than to mix a martini and pull out a dust-bunny-filled glass to pour it into. Make sure your cocktail shaker hasn't fused shut from some incompletely rinsed-out gimlet. And generally tidy up as necessary. Wipe down surfaces, remove any gone-flat mixers, torn cocktail parasols or old matchbooks from the cabinets and crevices.
Do an Inventory
Make sure you're well-stocked on all the basics and/or whatever you drink regularly and replenish your mixers. Make sure all necessary glassware and tools are present and easy-to-find.
Sure, a lot of this is a no-brainer, but it's also the sort of thing that's easy to forget or postpone until your guests are calling for libations. So, when you do your spring cleaning, make sure to remember the liquor cabinet.
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3-24-2009 @3:32PM Astin said... "Cream-based liqueurs like Bailey's or Godiva need to be refrigerated after opening and even then only last about a month or two."
Umm... no.
Bailey's can be kept opened and unrefrigerated for up to 2 years as long as it's out of direct sunlight and below 25C (77F). Says so in the Bailey's FAQ.
In fact, most creme and chocolate liqueurs have a similar temperature range that is safe outside the fridge, as long as your air conditioning is decent.
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3-24-2009 @3:51PM Nate said... Seconded on the Bailey's storage.
This also shouldn't be an issue, as you're foolish to buy any larger than the smallest bottle of creme or chocolate liqueurs unless they are a regular part of your liquid diet.
What you really have to worry about is vermouth. It's not high enough proof to be preserved indefinitely, and will turn to vinegar. This is why you should also buy the smallest bottles you can, and throw them out after 6-8 months.
A good rule of thumb is that anything over 80 proof is good forever, and anything with a preservative is good for a year or so. Anything under that and unpreserved, use it within 6 months or keep it refrigerated.
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3-24-2009 @4:59PM Alex said... Why would I pull the glasses out, wash them all, put them back in, and repeat 6 months later? Why not just wait and wash them when I am ready to use them or the day before a party? Wasted effort, my friend.
And checking the caps? Are there liquor cabinet gremlins that loosen them in the night? I can see how things might not be restored to their ideal condition at the end of a long night of drinking, but isn't tightening caps a task to complete while cleaning up the next day?
And why do inventory every six months. The liquor cabinet should be treated like the fridge/pantry - when you get close to the bottom of a bottle, put it on the list, and do a double check for staples before parties.
As for the temp - if you don't notice you are storing something at the incorrect temp until 6 months later, it's too late.
Are there actually real, live, working people with busy schedules completing their liquor cabinet check list twice per year?
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