Here are nine of our favorite booze storage solutions for small spaces. If you’ve stored your wine correctly—in a sealed bottle in the refrigerator—but the taste or color is just a little off, a slightly oxidized wine can still be used in the kitchen. “I find they work best in recipes with long cook times, like stews, sauces, or marinades, which allow the alcohol to cook off and the flavors to meld seamlessly,” Hoel says. Just avoid storing bottles in pockets of high heat or in locations where temperatures fluctuate drastically, such as next to the dishwasher or stove. Above all, don’t stash a collection on top of the refrigerator, says Robinson. Overhead lighting and refrigerator exhaust give off a lot of heat, and the constant vibration can adversely affect taste.

The Best Damn Boozy Hot Chocolate You’ll Ever Drink

All you have to do is find a tray that matches your style (snakeskin, lucite, metallic, leather — the options are endless) and load your liquor into it.

Vermouth belongs in the fridge

Even though we may slosh it around our glasses while we’re at a wine tasting, while it’s in the bottle, plenty of things can go amiss and change your delicious vino into vinegar. Want the most out of your wine but not planning on drinking it right away? Here are the dos and don’t-you-dares of storing wine at home. Reds will begin to darken to brown and brick tones, while white wines will often deepen and become more yellow.

“Almost every wine preservation tip you’ll find is based on minimizing your wine’s exposure to oxygen,” Hoel explains. For example, you should always refrigerate wine after opening it, but the fridge is not recommended for long-term wine storage of unopened bottles. Fortified wines, such as port, sherry and vermouth, should be stored in the fridge after they’ve been opened. The colder temperature slows down the oxidation process and keeps the bottles fresher longer.

Harsh UV rays can damage your liquor over time (and might even change its color), so it’s best to store your bottles away from streaming sunlight. Sommeliers often encourage storing bottles of wine on their sides, but for liquor, not so. Keeping your whiskey down rather than standing it upright can cause the cork to mix and seep into the liquid, altering the high-alcohol content and causing it to disintegrate over time.

Liquor Storage Shelves

A quality office shelf without the office supplies makes for a great whiskey storage rack, or a place for wine glasses outside of your wine cabinets. You may find these ideas spark another way of displaying your bottles, or you may find something simple that works best for you. From creative ideas to cheap Ikea options, you’re sure to find liquor cabinet ideas that suit your liquor display needs. “Home storage of distilled spirits is a constant competition between convenience and preservation,” said Allen Katz, co-founder of New York Distilling Company. Even if you don’t have a wine cellar, there are some basic guidelines for how to (and how not to) store alcohol at home. Typically, wine bottles with corks should be stored horizontally to keep the cork moist.

Avoid the clutter of bottles stacked haphazardly, and create a display that reflects care and class. Keep your liquor cabinet locked and inaccessible to children and teenagers at all times to prevent underage drinking and accidental poisoning. If you choose to create your own shelving, you can make whatever you’d like. From timeline to temperature, here’s everything you need to know about how to store wine at home.

1. For long-term storage, vodka can be stored in the freezer or in a dark, cool place away from direct light.
2. Here, we’re going to share 4 ways to store your liquor at home and some of our favorite barware to help you along the way.
3. Fortified wines will deteriorate in flavor, making for a pretty stale drink.
4. From tall cabinets to wall-mounted shelves to trays and tables, there’s something for every bar.
5. The Highball is designed to hold 12oz of your favorite cocktails.

Is storing alcohol in the freezer recommended?

If your basement is free of dampness and mold, it can also serve as a makeshift wine cellar. Attics, hot garages, the top of your fridge or the cabinet above the washing machine are all off limits. In fact, don’t keep your wine in the kitchen unless you do decide to invest in a wine fridge (just keep it away from the dishwasher). Oxidation will begin to change a wine’s color and taste, but that doesn’t always mean your wine has gone bad.

But in my honest opinion, most of us average wine drinkers don’t need one. A dark, adult children of alcoholic trauma syndrome cool (again, that’s about 50 to 58 degrees) closet or cupboard kitted out with some racks and stays safe from major temperature swings will do just fine. Speaking of stopping corks from drying out, I can’t stress the importance of a humid environment enough. If the air in your wine cellar (or fridge, cupboard, closet, etc.) lacks sufficient moisture it, too can cause corks to dry out and wines to oxidize. Pop a humidifier in the room if you’re worried about moisture levels or you can put a small bowl of water in the cupboard with your wines—just don’t forget to refill it from time to time. If you don’t have a wine cooler or temperature controlled storage space where you can stow your wine, a cool cupboard (not in the kitchen) is a great way to make do.