Rum is an alcoholic liquor or spirit that is made from sugar cane or molasses. Rum is also brewed from other fermented products. Characteristically, the liquor comes in two colors. It is either left white or colored brown through the addition of caramel. The sycophants of this liquor who stay with it the whole night, in clubs and parties, have to know the finer details concerning it, ranging from the effective ways of storing it to the ways in which one can tell whether the Rum is deteriorating and almost going bad if it has not already.

Glass of rum

Image used under Creative Commons from Kyle May

Effective Storage of Rum

Rum is certainly one of the most reputable liquors, in the league of vodka, tequila, and whiskey. Rum is a liquor that does not necessarily need to be stored in a freezer. It is not only a poor practice to throw the bottle of rum into the freezer but also slims down the zest and thrill of the drinking experience.

The liquor can be as safe as any other hard liquor when left on the shelf and at room temperature. The reason is that rum has a long shelf life. What is shelf life? Most food products that you use are subject to deterioration. This implies that they possess a limited life that is not renewable. The shelf life of rum therefore refers to its period of service for which it can stay on the shelf before going bad. Owing to the relatively long shelf life, you can comfortably keep your rum, opened or closed, on the shelf at room temperature.

What could be the exact Shelf Life of Rum?

The most precise response to this common question is that it depends on the preparation method (fermented food) and the storage. For hard liquor like rum, it may be vague to ask for the shelf life because hardly does the drink go bad if it is properly stored at room temperature. The liquor actually does not even possess the sell by date label. Therefore, rum is said to have an indefinite shelf life.

Image used under Creative Commons from Mike McCune

How do you tell that Rum has gone bad?

As already hinted, rum has no label for sell by date. You will have to apply your senses in this case. The characteristics of rum, which has gone bad, include a foul smell emanating from the bottle and the liquor adopts a brown color. For someone used to taking rum, you should notice if the taste is any different from what you are used to. Any or all of these three signs shows that your rum has gone bad. One should not take such a liquor to avoid poisoning.