r/cocktails • u/Seattle_Dweller • 2d ago

Question Keep or Toss?

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Hi folks - pulled this out of a storage box. They have been in outdoor storage unit for 2 years, and sealed. Still good? Or should I go ahead and toss? Cheers!

76 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

41 comments sorted by

426

u/SolidDoctor 2d ago

Who in their right mind would toss a 16oz bottle of Angostura?

The only one I would question would be the orgeat. Keep the rest.

26

u/LamonsterZone 2d ago

I concur with this

2

u/HTD-Vintage 2d ago

Not sure how anyone can assess this when OP didn't say whether or not their storage unit was temperature controlled or what kind of climate they're in.

My storage unit wasn't temperature controlled. If I had any liquor in there that wasn't maybe vodka, it would have been tossed for sure. If those bitters spent months at 80+ degrees, they don't taste right anymore. Mine would have likely hit 90+ degrees and below freezing at some point.

If they were stored indoors then absolutely, they will be fine. The orgeat is likely off. The grenadine likely tastes exactly like it did the day it was bottled. The syrup is probably hit or miss, depending on ingredients. I'd think the better quality the ingredients, the less likely it will still be good. I mean, it will be safe to drink either way, but I would expect it to taste noticeably different than when it was fresh.

7

u/Mdamon808 2d ago

The bitters are alcohol based so they will basically never spoil.

For the rest, modern industrial sterilization of food is very effective. So as long as there is nowhere for bacteria to hide (like in the Orgeat), the seals aren't broken, and they weren't kept in a brightly lit area, they should be fine.

7

u/HTD-Vintage 2d ago

I'm not talking about spoiling. I'm talking about the flavor being affected. Bitters have a lot of natural ingredients that will break down over time, despite these moronic downvotes.

2

u/SolidDoctor 1d ago

The Angostura should be fine, such a powerful flavor at 90 proof it may have mellowed out a little bit. I'll bet it still makes a nice Trinidad sour.

2

u/HTD-Vintage 1d ago

You know, I honestly kinda forgot until now that most bitters are in the 70-100 proof range. For some reason I was thinking they were more like 20-30 proof.

That helps to preserve the flavor to some extent, but the real workhorse is having them be still sealed. If there isn,'t much headspace, oxidation should be pretty minimal. Even if the flavor was slightly dulled, I'd still use it at home. I don't use a ton of Angostura at home. I buy the little 4 oz bottles and they still probably take me a year to get through.

2

u/SolidDoctor 1d ago edited 1d ago

Oh man oh man oh man. I go through a little bottle of Angostura in a week.

I will do shot after dinner as a digestif. I make Trinidad sours. I add it to old fashioneds, rum & coke, etc. I tried to find a larger bottle, no one in my area sells it so I went over state lines and the person there tried to tell me, "oh we don't carry Angostura anymore, I think they stopped making it."

I think I snorted as I laughed.

But to your point, Fee Bros is very popular and those bitters are non-alcoholic. I would definitely throw those away.

2

u/HTD-Vintage 1d ago

I have 7 or 8 different bitters open, but my cocktail tendencies lean toward using more amaro and vermouth for those bitters, herbal notes. I do make myself a rye Manhattan or rum Old Fashioned once in awhile. Those are probably my most consistent uses of Angostura.

1

u/Mdamon808 1d ago

I understand that. Which is why I included the line about light exposure. Which is the other major cause of flavors going off.

f they had been in a dark storage box for most of their life they are probably fine.

114

u/GrumioInvictus 2d ago

The bitters are definitely fine.

The syrups are probably OK, if by sealed you mean the seal from their original production and packaging. Look for “best by” dates, and use as a guideline, along with taste, smell, and any visible signs of spoilage. As long as they were sterilized properly in production, they should still be safe. If you’ll feel uncomfortable every time you use them, though, it might be better just to replace them for the peace of mind.

44

u/Lamitamo 2d ago

If they’re sealed from the factory, they shouldn’t be unhealthy to consume, but they may have lost some flavour. “Best Before” isn’t “poison after”, it’s just likely to have lost some flavour or hasn’t been tested for shelf life beyond that time. For my personal use, I would check the best before date. If it’s past the best before, open and smell. If it smells fine, taste it. If it tastes fine (at least the syrups), I’d use it.

27

u/Professional-Leave24 2d ago

Orgeat should have a date on it that has likely passed. It looks off. Bitters will outlast you and me both.

83

u/Uzi_Jesus_ 2d ago

I would toss the syrups but keep the bitters. But I would also taste them first.

15

u/Skysis 2d ago

Syrups won't go bad due to a high sugar content. Bitters, similarly, but due to high alcohol.

36

u/deadflashlights 2d ago

Syrups are stored on the shelf at grocery stores. If unopened they should be fine

7

u/Uzi_Jesus_ 2d ago

My main concern is the temperature swaps being stored outside

2

u/chu2 1d ago

I'm on the last few dashes of a bottle of Peychaud's that I bought in 2013 (maybe 2012). It still tastes like Peychaud's.

12

u/Jurodan 2d ago

The bitters will be fine. The other stuff, if they haven't been opened like you said, might be okay. Look at their expiration date, might give you an idea.

7

u/traumapatient 2d ago

Are none of them open? I feel like they would all be fine in that case

5

u/squeek1684 2d ago

Both bitters are still good. All the other stuff should have a best by date on it.

3

u/Humble-End-2535 2d ago

The Ango and Peychauds are great products and should be fine.

The Grenadine and Orgeat are good products (I'm simply not familiar with the other syrup). They should be okay, but I would be slightly concerned if there were serious temperature fluctuations. Taste them and, if they taste okay, they should be fine (but keep them in the fridge once opened).

2

u/Wonderful_Reaction76 2d ago

Keep ango and jack Rudy and peychauds

Toss the others

5

u/ProfessionalCod1367 2d ago

Run it, except the orgeat

7

u/Mr_Abe_Froman 2d ago

That orgeat looks rough.

2

u/SnakebiteRT 2d ago

Just taste them. If they’re bad toss them.

1

u/KiwiSuch9951 2d ago

Keep the middle three.

1

u/AutofluorescentPuku 2d ago

The orgeat is the only item I hesitate on. It has likely separated and needs a really long, vigorous shake. I’d do a sniff & taste test with it. The rest should be okay.

1

u/Adam1z4j2 2d ago

Anything over 20% abv is shelf stable indefinitely, like honey 

1

u/aucatetby 2d ago

Storing spirits outdoors can be a bit of a gamble. It's tough to say without knowing the sepcifics, but two years is a long time. You might want to do a taste test with a small sip.

1

u/Ridgew00dian 2d ago

Keep the Ango and the Peychauds

1

u/sixdeeneinfauxtwenny 2d ago

I’ll pay for shipping. Send them to me.

1

u/lexm manhattan 2d ago

Definitely toss all of these. Put them in a box, I’ll DM you my address and I’ll dispose of them in a human way.

1

u/alfredcool1 2d ago

The angostura will never go bad lol

1

u/60svintage 2d ago

I have a 50 year old notice of bitters. I used the other 4.

Definitely don't chuck them.

1

u/SilverGnarwhal 1d ago

I’d toss the Peychauds but that’s only because I absolutely can’t stand the way it tastes. It’s almost certainly fine, but unfortunately (for me at least) it will still taste like Peychauds.

1

u/rrwoods 1d ago

Almost certainly toss the syrups. The orgeat especially will be hard to evaluate because it’s naturally cloudy.

The bitters are both things you want on hand anyway, so my advice would be, get a fresh small bottle of ango and peychaud’s, and taste them side by side in shot glasses (or in soda water if you must). They won’t be dangerous, but they might be of diminished quality.

1

u/nadomsi 2d ago

Toss it here.. DM

0

u/Colourblindknight 2d ago

Keep the bitters, toss the orgeat and grenadine. Some simple syrup is shelf stable at a certain concentration of sugar, but if youre not sure then it’s probably best to toss it too.

-1

u/Sparkadelic007 2d ago

Toss the syrup on principle - making your own is always cheaper and better - and be cautious with the orgeat. Looks very iffy at best. Bitters are good to go.