Updated March 2026.
Unopened gin does not expire like beer or vermouth. Most US gin is bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof). At that strength ordinary microbes do not live in the bottle. TTB does not require an expiration date on distilled spirits. A sealed bottle stored upright, cool, and dark can sit for years and still be gin.
Opened gin changes. The juniper and citrus oils that make gin smell like gin are volatile. Oxygen and heat flatten them. That is aroma loss, not a USDA leftover. The 2022 page’s month clocks were folklore. TTB and the major gin houses do not publish a “six months after opening” rule. Use your nose.
Sealed vs opened
| Condition | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed, cool, dark, upright | Stable for years | Leave it |
| Opened, mostly full | Botanicals fade slowly | Cap tightly. No verified month limit |
| Opened, mostly empty | Faster fade; still gin, not poison | Decant smaller if you care about nose |
| Freezer | 80-proof gin will not freeze solid in a 0°F box; aroma mutes | Fine for a cold martini pour, not “preservation” |
| Cloudy, off, or rotten smell | Rare contamination or a broken seal | Dump it |
Gin vs vermouth vs RTD
Gin is a distilled spirit flavored with botanicals, classically juniper (27 CFR 5.147). It is not a wine. Dry vermouth in your martini is a fortified wine, typically 15–18% ABV, and it does oxidize on a grocery clock. Refrigerate opened vermouth. Do not treat the gin bottle the same way. Canned gin-and-tonic or juice-heavy RTDs follow the can date, not this page.
Navy-strength gin near 57% ABV is even less of a spoilage problem. Flavored gin liqueurs and sloe gin sit lower and can carry sugar. Read the class and the proof. For freeze math at 40%, see does vodka freeze. For the same sealed-bottle logic on whiskey, does bourbon go bad.
Storage
- Upright, tight cap, out of sun.
- Room temperature is fine. The fridge is a serving choice, not a safety rule.
- Do not store gin on its side. Spirit eats cork.
- A dusty airport mini (50 mL) in a hot glove box is a flavor problem before it is a safety problem.
Tired gin still works in a G&T where tonic does the talking. It is a waste in a dry martini you paid to nose. For shot size see how many mL is a shot. For drink count, how many shots to get drunk — math, not a dare.
Sources
- TTB: distilled spirits are not required to carry an expiration date; gin identity 27 CFR 5.147; bottled strength commonly 40% ABV in the US.
- Opened “six months / two years” rules: not a TTB spec — cut as folklore.
- Vermouth is wine-strength and is not gin. Refrigerate opened vermouth.