How Long Does Whiskey Keep Once Opened?

A bottle of whiskey can last you a long time. It might be something that you go back to every few days, weeks, or months. But have you ever had creeping doubts about how long your whiskey will keep before it goes ‘bad’? Fear not, we can lay those doubts to rest.

So, what happens when you leave a bottle of whiskey open for a long time? And does whiskey go bad?

Does Whiskey Go Bad?

Well, yes and no. In theory, your whiskey will last almost forever without going ‘bad’. Distilled spirits won’t spoil or make you sick like milk, and they won’t turn to vinegar like beer and wine.

However, a bottle of whiskey will undergo changes if exposed to light, air, and temperature fluctuations for long enough. These changes will affect the flavor of the whiskey.

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Initially, that can be a good thing. We’ve all had the experience of opening a bottle, tasting it right away, and not particularly enjoying its contents – but then coming back a month later to taste a spirit that feels much more integrated and cohesive.

Eventually, open bottles of whiskey will start to oxidize, losing some fragrance and flavor. Some say bottles should be finished within one to two years, while others say up to five years is alright, as long as you follow certain rules for keeping your spirit in tip-top condition.

How To Store Your Whiskey

1. Limit light: Your whiskey collection might be beautiful enough to display out in the open, but it’ll last longer if you keep it behind a cabinet door. Many whiskeys are packaged in dark glass bottles for exactly this reason. If your bottle came in a canister or box, that can provide another layer of protection.
2. Limit temperature fluctuations: Room temperature is okay, but try not to go hotter. Basements, root cellars, or even the bottom shelf in your pantry can all be good places to store your whiskey (we know, we know, your collection is anything but the bottom shelf)
3. Limit oxygen: If you’re trying to keep a bottle around for a long time, consider investing in a vacuum sealer, the kind used by bars and restaurants to keep open bottles of wine fresher, and longer. Alternatively, you can use Parafilm, a laboratory seal that will prevent your whiskey from oxidizing and the fill level from dropping over a long period of time.
4. Store bottles upright: Whereas wine should remain in contact with its cork to prevent it from drying out, stronger spirits will actually eat away at the cork, imparting off flavors to the spirit and potentially ruining the seal.

What Are You Waiting For?

Lastly, and most importantly, stop saving that half-full bottle of fancy booze for a special moment! Start making your every day more special by drinking that stuff, before it starts to lose what makes it fancy in the first place.

Storing A Whiskey Collection

If you are storing whiskey in a collection, rather than for drinking, the above rules still apply. Watch Mark’s YouTube video on how to store your whiskey below:

This article was originally published in January 2022, and updated in January 2025.