Warning over putting alcohol in the freezer as experts reveal there's one exception
Rachael Davis
Featured Image Credit: OLEKSANDRA TROIAN/Getty Images
Many of us, especially in the warmer months, have a preference for ice-cold beverages. When it comes to boozy bevs, cold temperatures are often an imperative.
With that in mind, chances are you’ve bunged a bottle or two in the freezer to bring the temperature down quickly. However, depending on the booze, you might be damaging the flavour profile by bringing it down to freezing temperatures.
The water content in drinks like beer and wine means some parts freeze faster than others. In other words, a wine’s water will freeze before its alcohol. This can separate the two liquids and compromise the flavour.
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For carbonated drinks, freezing them may cut down on the bubbles. Glass bottles full of fizz might explode when they’re frozen, too.
As it turns out, most spirits are best left out of the freezer, too.
Let’s dig into the dos and don’ts of freezing booze.
There are a few heavy hitters in the spirits world that absolutely don’t want to go in the freezer:
The first is gin, whose flavour profile is contingent on the botanicals used during the distilling process. According to Gina Broyles, general manager at Kwei Fei in South Carolina, freezing gin can damage its flavours and aromas.
“I recommend you skip the freezer altogether and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator to keep it cool,” she told Food and Wine.
Tequila is another spirit that’s best kept out of the freezer. “Tequila, for instance, loses its bright, citrusy notes,” explained Broyles. In other words, it’s got the same issues with freezing as gin.
Finally, your brown spirits can also be ruined in the freezer. Rum, whiskey and cognac call into this bracket, among others.
“Brown spirits tend to cloud when frozen,” said Jarred Roth, beverage director at Il Buco Family, per Food and Wine.
“You generally lose some of the tasting notes in them at ice-cold temperatures.”
Roth added that it’s the high-end products that you want to watch out for, as their more subtle flavours are more likely to suffer in a freezer than those of bottom or middle-shelf options.
However, not all spirits should be kept away from that freezer drawer, as there's one exception to the rule: vodka, of course.
Yep, the number one recommendation for freezer booze is vodka. The strong chill makes it smoother and easier on the palate, and vodka’s relative blandness means you shouldn’t miss out on many exciting flavours thanks to the freezing process.
“Storing booze in a freezer tends to allow for a smoother feel on the palate and finish,” explained Roth, with Broyles noting that freezing low-quality booze can dampen their less-palatable flavours or textures.
That said, if you’ve got a more expensive vodka with a more defined flavour profile, you might want to factor that in when you’re deciding where to store it.
Outside of those core straight spirits, Roth also believes some batched cocktails are also fine to freeze.
“If you're batching a more spirit-forward cocktail, such as a Martini, it can allow it to be quickly served ice-cold without worrying about over-dilution while stirring the drink.
“The end product will be strong and have a smooth finish.”
However, if the cocktails is spirits-heavy or uses syrups, freezing them risks separating the ingredients.
As to whether freezing booze is ever really necessary, Broyles added: “If you want to serve spirits cold without compromising flavor or viscosity, a refrigerator or wine chiller is ideal.”