So you’ve found a bottle of moonshine from yesteryear. Is it still fit to drink? This is a question I’ve asked myself recently. I heard different things coming from different sources, so I decided to do a little research on my own, and here’s the answer.
So, does moonshine go bad? In short, moonshine, like other plain spirits, does not really go bad. This means moonshine has an indefinite shelf life, unless you are dealing with a flavored option (which can spoil as a result of its high sugar density). Coming up, I’ll go over everything you need to know about moonshine and its shelf life so you can get the most out of your spirits.
Keep reading to find out if your moonshine is still good (or whether you should just chuck it!).
Contents
How long is homemade moonshine good for?
Final Thoughts – According to our extensive research, moonshine does go bad, at least not in the traditional sense. However, no bottles of moonshine expire in the same way that milk does. Moonshine has an indefinite shelf life and is one of the strongest alcoholic beverages, like whiskey.
- On the other hand, flavored moonshine, which contains sugar, has a shorter shelf life but can survive for years after being opened.
- Direct light, heat, and air can alter the flavor characteristics of an open bottle and affect how long does moonshine could last.
- But if you store moonshine properly, it can last long.
References:
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/alcoholic-beverages
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/distilled-beverage
Lydia Martin hails from Redmond, Washington, where you’ll find some of the best cocktail bars and distilleries that offer a great mix of local drinks. She used to work as a bar manager in Paris and is a self-taught mixologist whose passion for crafting unique cocktails led her to create Liquor Laboratory. Lydia can whip up a mean Margarita in seconds! Contact at or learn more about us here,
Does moonshine ever go bad?
Summary – Moonshine cannot really expire. The flavor and characteristics of your moonshine can be changed if it is exposed to light, warmth, or air but it won’t become undrinkable. Even an open bottle of flavored moonshine will last for many years before it will start to go off.
Can you drink 30 year old liquor?
Does Liquor Expire? – Unopened liquor has an indefinite shelf life. Opened liquor lasts about a year or two before it goes bad, meaning it starts losing its color and flavor. Don’t use a liquor for well drinks if you won’t use the whole bottle within two years.
It does not generally become toxic, though. As always, use your common sense: if you see anything suspicious in your old liquor (like mold or something floating), toss it. Checking to make sure your liquor hasn’t expired is a valuable part of a bartenders duties, When running an eatery, it’s recommended that the restaurant bartender checks the bottles you already have on a regular basis.
Having a good inventory organization system in place will help you find expired alcohol faster. As a business owner or a restaurant manager, you should make sure a checkup is done often, so liquor can be used up before it goes bad. Organizing bottles by type and putting labels on the shelves will be very helpful in such situations.
Can bad moonshine make you sick?
Other Side Effects Of Moonshine – Methanol vaporizes faster and can become concentrated in toxic amounts. With the right equipment, it can easily be separated and tossed out. But, without it, the methanol is difficult to discard. The dangerous part happens when the body converts methanol to formaldehyde, which is an ingredient in embalming fluid. 
Can you drink 50 year old whiskey?
50-year-old whisky is almost the holy grail in spirits terms. Very few casks of whisky will reach 50 years old and still be drinkable, representing a tiny, tiny fraction of a percent.
