Iconic cocktails like a punchy Sazerac or zesty Dark and Stormy owe their delightful edge to a few dashes of none other than bitters. Once a digestive aid, bitters have become the magic ingredient used to create balance and accentuate flavor in an array of tipples. A staple for any professional bartender or home mixologist, investing in a bottle can help you take your cocktails to the next level. However, you can only do that if bitters arent past their prime, which begs the question of just how long an open bottle of bitters can truly last.
Made by infusing neutral liquor with botanicals, bitters can fall into various categories such as aromatic, citrus, herbal, fruit, or nut. Regardless of the variety, they remain pretty concentrated. But while they do have high alcohol by volume (often between 35% and 50% ABV) because theyre used in such minuscule amounts, bitters are technically considered “non-drinkable” and thus, non-alcoholic.
As intriguing as the wide world of bitters may be, the most puzzling aspect is their shelf life. Although you might currently have one of these small bottles collecting dust in your liquor cabinet, wed like to bring a few things to your attention.
Mandatory or not, bitters can be found in every bartender’s arsenal, which means they can sit on a shelf or bar cart for weeks, months, or years at a time. And since they’re essentially a cocktail’s finishing touch, why would anyone want to screw that up by using expired product? That’s why when it comes to the uncertain shelf life of bitters, there are a few points that need addressing.
Some bartenders list cocktail bitters as an optional ingredient in their drinks. Others would call this blasphemy and argue that bitters are crucial to a cocktail’s expression and je ne sais quoi, like the seasoning on your favorite dish or an exclamation point at the end of a sentence.
This change in flavor is often just a muting of the original taste, but oxidation over time can sometimes give bitters a metallic, iron-like taste. This phenomenon hinges upon the level of water and organic matter in the bitters in question. For instance, Fee Brothers uses fresh ingredients like fruit extracts and almond oil in their bitters. This makes them taste great, but consequently, their flavor fades rather quickly. Fee Brothers’ bitters also have a generally high water content, which contributes to a faster rate of oxidation. “It’s akin to opening a bottle of vermouth — both have about a one-month shelf life in the fridge,” says Adler.
Fortunately, most bitters have enough alcohol or glycerin in them to prevent perishability from becoming a major threat. Regardless, the best way to keep your bitters fresh, and to slow down any oxidation, is to store them in the fridge. If you feel so inclined, jot down the date you bought your bitters on their bottles to keep track of their ages. Ultimately, they won’t last forever, but you won’t get food poisoning from them, either.
Just like most spirits, bitters don’t technically expire. According to Jon Adler, mixology wizard and bar manager at Shinji’s in NYC, most bitters, including Angostura, do not go bad since they generally have an alcohol content of about 45 percent ABV. “The alcohol [or glycerin] works as a preservative so they will never go rancid. But unless they’re kept in the fridge, they will change flavor over the years as alcohol does slowly evaporate due to its unstable molecular structure.”
Made by infusing neutral liquor with botanicals, bitters can fall into various categories such as aromatic, citrus, herbal, fruit, or nut. Regardless of the variety, they remain pretty concentrated. But while they do have high alcohol by volume (often between 35% and 50% ABV) because theyre used in such minuscule amounts, bitters are technically considered “non-drinkable” and thus, non-alcoholic.
However, if youre not sure youll host enough cocktail parties to finish bitters in a timely manner, cook with them. Just as you would use a few dashes in cocktails and mocktails, a splash of bitters can neutralize ultra-sweet jams or make for more interesting marinades, dressings, and dips. Despite how you put bitters to use, rest assured that youll at least have a few years to figure out the best ways to use them!
Iconic cocktails like a punchy Sazerac or zesty Dark and Stormy owe their delightful edge to a few dashes of none other than bitters. Once a digestive aid, bitters have become the magic ingredient used to create balance and accentuate flavor in an array of tipples. A staple for any professional bartender or home mixologist, investing in a bottle can help you take your cocktails to the next level. However, you can only do that if bitters arent past their prime, which begs the question of just how long an open bottle of bitters can truly last.
As intriguing as the wide world of bitters may be, the most puzzling aspect is their shelf life. Although you might currently have one of these small bottles collecting dust in your liquor cabinet, wed like to bring a few things to your attention.
Technically, bitters can last forever. Since alcohol is a preservative, pungent tinctures have an almost indefinite shelf life when left unopened. Once theyve been opened this changes slightly. Despite the fact that they can still last quite a while, more often than not, bitters can start to become more mellow and muted after the five-year mark — the only exception to this rule being perishable fruit bitters containing glycerin.