Can you keep spirits in the freezer?

Spirits from 37.5 percent stay liquid at -18 degrees, because their freezing point is below that temperature.

At 40 percent alcohol the freezing point is around -23 degrees and at 50 percent around -32 degrees. A home freezer should be set to at least -18 degrees. Vodka, gin, rum and whisky stay well clear of that limit and do not freeze.

The drink does become more syrupy, because the liquid gets thicker the colder it is. Pouring therefore takes longer.

Liqueur starts at 15 percent alcohol and contains at least 100 grams of sugar per liter, so that the freezing point lies above freezer temperature.

At 20 percent alcohol the freezing point is around -9 degrees and at 30 percent around -15 degrees. A freezer at -18 degrees is below that. A liqueur of 15 to 30 percent therefore freezes there, or becomes a thick slush that no longer pours.

With cream liqueur there is something extra: cream can split when frozen and then no longer comes back smooth.

Gin does not freeze at 37.5 percent, but in the cold the volatile aroma compounds are released much less.

Gin owes its character to juniper berries and other botanicals. Those substances are volatile, and the colder the liquid is, the less of them comes out of the glass. A gin from the freezer therefore smells flatter than the same gin at room temperature.

For a gin and tonic it makes little difference, because tonic and ice cool it anyway. Whoever drinks gin neat has enough with the fridge.

Yes, a freezing liquid expands and can make a bottle burst or push a cork up.

The risk lies mainly with drinks containing a lot of water and little alcohol: liqueur, vermouth, port and anything under 20 percent. For spirits of 37.5 percent and up the chance is small, as long as the freezer is not set colder than -20 degrees.

Put doubtful cases in the fridge at 4 degrees. Nothing freezes there and the bottle stays intact.

Upright, dark and at room temperature, with the closure tightly shut, is the right way to store virtually all distilled drinks.

Upright, because spirits attack a cork when the bottle lies down. Dark, because light changes colour and aroma. At room temperature, because large temperature swings make the closure work and promote evaporation.

Cream and egg liqueur do belong in the fridge once opened. Follow the instruction on the label for that.