Haven’t we all seen the wine bottles in freezers and ice baths? You must have wondered if alcohol can be frozen like that. For the most part, alcohol is put into the freezer for cooling it but there are other purposes. For instance, you must be wondering, “does freezing alcohol ruin it?” In that case, we are sharing the information below!
Does Freezing Alcohol Ruin It?
Putting Alcohol In The Freezer
When you put alcohol in the freezer, the water portion will freeze up pretty quickly, which means the alcohol is pushed out of the mixture. In addition, when you thaw the alcohol, the alcohol will evaporate quickly, especially when you didn’t seal the bottle tightly. However, if you seal the alcohol bottle properly, the alcohol content will remain the same.
The Freezing Point Of Alcohol
When it comes down to the freezing, water freezes at 32-degrees Fahrenheit while pure ethanol alcohol freezes at -173-degrees Fahrenheit. So, alcoholic beverages are a combination of water and alcohol which means the freezing point will be between these two temperatures. It is important to add that beverages with a low alcohol content will freeze up quickly and vice versa. In the section below, we are sharing the potential freezing points of different beverages, such as;
- Beer freezes at 28-degrees Fahrenheit
- Wine freezes at 23-degrees Fahrenheit
- 80-proof liquor freezes at -17-degrees Fahrenheit
- 40-proof liquor freezes at 22-degrees Fahrenheit
- 64-proof liquor freezes at -10-degrees Fahrenheit
Which Alcohols Can You Freeze?
Yes, you guessed it right, you cannot freeze just any alcoholic beverage. When it comes down to our household refrigerators, they are designed to operate at 0-degrees Fahrenheit which is enough to freeze ice and food but it cannot freeze the 80-proof liquor (for freezing this liquor, you might have to use a chest freezer). Having said that, vodka can be frozen in the freezer and even prized limoncello can be put in the freezer for a few hours.
When it comes down to barrel-aged beverages and whiskeys, they are not stored in cold because of the availability of volatiles (they add the complex flavor which is more evident at warm temperatures). On the other hand, vodka is clean and has only a few volatiles which means it will have a better flavor when it’s put in the freezer. In the case of premium vodka, it’s better to freeze it at 32-degrees Fahrenheit and you can reduce the temperature even more for cheap vodka to create a smooth drink.
Which Alcohols You Cannot Freeze?
Wine and beer are known to have less alcohol as compared to other liquors which means they will freeze. For this reason, you can put the white wine or beer in the freezer for an hour or two to chill it but don’t go any longer than this. It’s obvious that the entire bottle won’t freeze but water will freeze, creating a slush (it will ruin the flavor). Anyhow, if the wine is already frozen, it’s better for cooking because it is not suitable for drinking. Also, excessive freezing can also crack the glass.