If you’ve had the same bottle of tequila sitting on the shelf for years at a time, you might start to wonder: does tequila go bad? It might make sense to assume that it, like many other things, does have an expiry date, but the high alcohol content might leave you questioning.

The rules for keeping tequila fresh are simple to follow and more or less common sense. While the beverage does not spoil or turn in quite the same way as some other perishable foods or beverages might, it does lose some of its distinctive flavor and punch. Here are several tips for keeping that sweet blue agave nectar fresh for as long as possible.

Does Tequila Go Bad Once the Bottle is Opened?

When it’s sitting unopened, tequila has a rather significant shelf life, as with most other alcoholic beverages. Realistically speaking, tequila does not expire so long as no one has broken the seal and opened the bottle up. Even once it has been cracked into and poured into your favorite tequila cocktails or enjoyed as a shot, you aren’t looking so much at a date in which the drink will spoil, so much as when it will start to steeply decline in quality.

Opening a bottle of tequila sets the stage for oxidation. This initiates a series of chemical reactions that change the flavor, aroma, and character of tequila, albeit slowly. A bottle of tequila can retain its full flavor for about a year before it starts to break down. If the bottle remains unopened and properly stored, however, the shelf life is extended indefinitely.

To Refrigerate or Not to Refrigerate

If you bet on the refrigerator being tequila’s best friend, guess again, The fridge is actually too cool for tequila. The opened bottle should be kept at cool temperatures (less than 65 degrees Fahrenheit), yes, but nothing below 55 degrees. The most important tip to remember is that temperature fluctuations are especially bad for the life of your bottle of tequila. The same goes for the freezer. Find a cool and dark cabinet or cupboard away from direct sunlight.

Does Tequila Get Better With Age?

Unlike fine wines, time does not make for a better tequila, and older doesn’t necessarily mean better. While it’s being produced and aged in oak barrels, the flavors of agave and the wood it’s being stored in will seep into the mixture and create a better, more unique flavor profile. Tequila brands in Mexico have spent years perfecting their aging processes to end up with the best possible final product. That said, even this has a limit, as once it’s been in the barrel for more than five years, you’ll start to taste too much wood and not enough agave.

Unless you’re brewing your own at home (which we do not advise unless you really know what you’re doing), that bottle of tequila in the back of your liquor cabinet isn’t going to change or improve with age. In fact, once it begins to oxidize, it will get worse.

Other Tips For a Long and Happy Tequila Shelf Life

When placing the cap back on the bottle, secure it as tightly as possible. It is also a good practice to transfer tequila to a smaller bottle once the level starts to get low. That way the amount of oxygen that comes into contact with the tequila is reduced.