All foods found in the store have an expiration date stamped, even alcoholic beverages. Despite this, there is a general opinion among consumers that wine only grows stronger over the years, and vodka, in principle, does not deteriorate. Is it so?
Almost no meal is complete without vodka, one of the favorite alcoholic drinks of the Russian population. It is one of the most popular foods in the country. It is believed that since vodka contains only water and alcohol, it can be stored for decades without losing its original properties. Those who think so are seriously mistaken. All food products have their own expiration date, and vodka is one of them. The shelf life of any product depends on three factors: composition, packaging and compliance with storage conditions.
Structure
The widespread belief that vodka consists exclusively of water and ethyl alcohol is wrong. There are two types of vodka: special and simple. A simple kind of vodka most often really consists only of these two components. Sometimes sugar is added to this alcoholic product of certain brands. However, do not forget that ethyl alcohol is not 100% pure. One liter of this substance will have a maximum of 0.96-0.98 liters of alcohol. This means that even in the highest quality product the alcohol content will be from 96% to 98%, the remaining 2–4% are impurities. With long-term storage, these impurities will begin to enter into chemical reactions with water, alcohol and air that fills the bottle, which contributes to the contamination of the product and deterioration of its properties.
As for special vodkas, in addition to chemical reactions with impurities, they face another problem. Flavors (lemon, cranberry, etc.), often of plant origin, are additionally introduced into their composition. The additives react chemically with water and alcohol, causing the vodka to oxidize. And this happens pretty quickly. The same goes for homemade herbal vodka-based infusions.
Container
The container in which vodka is stored also has a special effect on the rate of change in its quality. In no case should you store vodka (like any other alcohol-containing alcohol) in a plastic container. The fact is that alcohol, as a chemically active substance, begins to interact with plastic molecules, thus forming toxic substances that are hazardous to health. Therefore, glass bottles are used to store vodka (glass does not react with alcohol). In addition, ethyl alcohol has the property of volatility - if the container is not securely closed, it will begin to evaporate, and this will affect the decrease in the strength and volume of the drink.
Storage conditions
To prevent the occurrence of chemical reactions, vodka should be stored at a temperature of 5 ° C to 10 ° C. The air humidity should be no more than 85%. And, of course, the bottle must be airtight.
Shelf life
Vodka, like other food products, has its own shelf life. For special (flavored) vodkas or tinctures - from 6 months to one year. For ordinary vodkas, the shelf life is only conditional (in Soviet times, the quality of glass was an order of magnitude worse than now, and it partially entered into chemical reactions with alcohol). Usually the vodka bottle has a 2 year shelf life, but this is a relic of the past. Subject to the storage conditions, the correct container and its tightness, plain vodka can be stored much longer, but still not forever.
