The Liquid Muse

Ask The Liquid Muse...

Larry from Dallas wrote:

I enjoyed your segment on Tom Leykis last night and have a question. I have an outdoor bar/kitchen here in the Dallas area and wonder if the heat and/or direct sunlight can have damaging effects on the liquor I keep out there?

Hi Larry,

Thank you for listening to the show, last night, and thanks for this great question!

While hard liquor will probably be ok (vodka, etc.) I would still suggest keeping your booze in a temperature controlled climate. If your outdoor bar receives a lot of direct sunlight, the garage might be a bit cooler, for example. I would also be inclined to keep “mixers” such as pre-mixed sweet-n-sour out of the heat, too, especially after they’ve been opened. (As you know, I would prefer that you throw pre-mixers away and use fresh fruit juice… but that’s another topic…!)

However, under no circumstances should you keep any wine in a warm environment. Even red wine should be stored in a cooler place. Around 55 degrees Fahrenheit is considered ok for red wine and about 8 degrees less than that for white … no warmer or it will get ruined.

I hope that helps – and thank you for reading The Liquid Muse!