Does Vermouth Go Bad?

Vermouth is a fortified aromatized wine. It is produced by starting with a base of unfermented wine, including additional alcohol and a mixture of dry ingredients, consisting of aromatic herbs, barks, roots to base wine or spirit only.

After being fortified and aromatized, depending upon the style, it is sweetened with a cane or caramelized sugar. Vermouth is a common cocktail ingredient and is an alcoholic beverage usually served before the meal to stimulate the appetite.

We find it beneficial for lowering the alcohol content of cocktails with spirits. The herbs present in dry vermouth make it an attractive ingredient for fish dishes or marinade other meats. Vermouths, although they have a long shelf life and are great fresh that doesn’t say they can sit some years in your wine cellar or pantry. Yes, vermouth does go bad, but it lasts quite a long time compared to other ones.

How to store vermouth?

We all know vermouth is a fortified wine, so it offers a much longer shelf-life than that of your average wine. It is true, especially when it’s about an opened bottle. If it comes with a best by date, add two to three years to it.

Generally, if we see, to get the best quality you should use vermouth within 3 to 4 years. Here in this article, we share some accurate storing ways for vermouth, and one may be concerned about it.

Away from sunlight

Storing vermouth is not challenging at all. All you have to do is save it the same way you store wine. It means you have to keep it in the dark areas. You should keep it away from sunlight or place it away from a source of heat.

Your wine cellar or pantry would be a perfect choice, and it is okay to store vermouth there too. If your cabinet has glass doors, it won’t be much good for long-term storage. Glass door cabinets aren’t suitable for storing alcohol long term.

Tightly sealed

After you have opened the bottle of vermouth, you have to keep it sealed tightly so to it from deteriorating. Make sure you keep the bottle tightly sealed with its original lid when it is not in use.

Refrigerate it

Have you planned to finish up the whole bottle the same day you open it? It is then okay to keep it out, but if not, keep it in the refrigerator, yes, just like other wines. Like-wise the other wines, keep the bottle in the fridge.

Not storing it in a refrigerator won’t let it go bad, but there is a risk to its quality. If you haven’t put it in the fridge, the rate can degrade faster than if you chill it in the refrigerator. You can keep it out at your own risk.

Can we freeze vermouth?

As mentioned previously in this article, vermouth is a fortified wine. Fortified wine is quite often similar in sugar content and ABV to the final drink. It changes its flavor as it melts but not the sweetness balance.

Our freezer probably cannot get cold enough to a level to freeze something with ABV, typically vermouth, unless it is completely solid. We would need liquid nitrogen to freeze it when it comes to sweet vermouth as sugar depresses the freezing point further.

The fridge works well for what you’d consider a long amount of time. Refrigeration would be effective for vermouth storage. Freezing vermouth isn’t recommended.

How long does vermouth last?

Expensive wines are meant to be aged, but vermouth, well, not that much. The shelf life of vermouth is 3 to 4 years of bottling. Sometimes it also comes with a best-by date, which doesn’t mean that it will go bad. You can add up two to more years to it, and it would still be good to consume.

An opened bottle of vermouth can sit long while still retaining its good quality. It can last weeks or even a few months. Sweet vermouth contains flavor for a longer time than dry one that means where an opened bottle of dry vermouth stays good for about a month, and sweet vermouth stays good for about two weeks.

Vermouth unopened bottle lasts for three to four years. An opened bottle of dry vermouth stays good for a month, and a sweet bottle of vermouth that is opened lasts for two months. These periods are just educated estimates.

How to tell if vermouth is bad?

Spoilage of vermouth occurs rarely. Read down the article to know how to tell if your vermouth has turned bad.

• Signs of contaminants or mold formation in your liquid bottle have developed off odor and changed color. Discard it.
• If we store the opened bottle for a long time outside the fridge, its flavor gets dull, or the bottle tastes like a cheap one. It is up to you what to do with such a bottle.
• When you drink it, and its taste doesn’t hit the spot, it is better to throw it for quality purposes.

Sources

• Does it go bad
• Can it go bad
• Drink hacker