Do you have an unopened bottle of RumChata sitting in your pantry? Or is it an open one you have left from a party?
If so, it’s normal to wonder if it’s still safe to drink it, especially if it’s a few months past its best-by date. The drink contains rum and other flavorings, but it also has dairy cream, which is why people are often skeptical about its expiration.
Take a look below as we break down whether RumChata can go bad and how you should store it.
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Does RumChata Go Bad?
RumChata contains alcohol, so bacteria are unlikely to develop in the bottle even months after opening it.
Although it contains cream, the homogenization process helps to preserve it for a long time. An unopened bottle has a shelf life of many years, but an opened one will start to lose the taste after about a year.
Although its taste might not stay so intense, it’ll still be good and safe to drink even if it’s been opened for a year.
How long it lasts and how well it preserves the taste depends on how you store it.
How Long Does RumChata Last?
As said, RumChata can last up to several years in unopened. An opened bottle isn’t as long-lasting, and you’ll notice the intense flavor is lost after twelve months.
However, this doesn’t mean that your drink is no longer safe to drink. It simply means the quality isn’t the best anymore, and the flavor is probably no longer as spicy.
Nonetheless, you’re unlikely to experience any nausea or sickness, especially if you kept the bottle in the fridge.
Quality drop is a gradual process that takes several months, so you have enough time to go through a bottle. Even if you keep it open for longer than a year, you can still get a few cocktails out of it, although you might not be 100% happy with the taste.
How it spoils on how you store it. An opened bottle can’t last as long if you leave it exposed to air and heat. But, you don’t have to keep it in your fridge – just in a cool and dark pantry.
Pantry |
|
| RumChata – Unopened | Several years |
| RumChata – Opened | Up to a year for best quality |
If you have a brand new bottle you didn’t open yet, you can store it pretty much anywhere you want. Still, ensure that the place is cool because heat can cause it to go bad even if the bottle is closed.
Tips to Tell if RumChata has Gone Bad
Although it takes a long time for RumChata to go bad, this is going to happen after a few years. It might occur even sooner if you didn’t store it properly.
Either way, when spoiled, this drink will show clear signs that something’s not right. This is always useful to know so that you can check that RumChata that’s been sitting in your pantry for years.
Here’s what you should check:
Smell
Everyone’s first instinct is to smell the drink after opening the bottle after several months. If it’s good, RumChata should smell like vanilla, cinnamon, cream, and white rum. When it goes bad, it has a sour odor you’ll know it’s not right. At this point, the sweet scent of alcohol is completely gone, and you’re left with a lingering taste of sour dairy cream.
The bottle
Is it opened? If not, the alcohol in there is probably still safe to consume. An unopened bottle has a long shelf life of several years, so you can enjoy the drink even if it’s past its date. If it’s an opened bottle, you might want to remember when you opened it. If it was at least a year ago, it’s best to throw it away.
Appearance
RumChata has a creamy white color that looks amazing in all cocktails. If your drink has any other color, it has likely gone bad. Again, opened bottles go bad much quicker than unopened ones because the air can’t get through to the drink. A spoiled RumChata often has streaks of darker color at the bottom of the bottle.
Taste
Spoiled RumChata will have a weird taste of spoiled cream. The one that has a bad smell and appearance will most likely also taste bad. It’s unlikely for it to taste bad without having a bad smell, so this is something to go by. Still, tasting it is often the best way to tell if it’s spoiled, but be prepared to possibly taste sour dairy cream mixed with spices.
Tips to Store RumChata
Much like in the case of other alcoholic drinks, proper storage is crucial for the shelf life of your RumChata. An adequately stored bottle you didn’t open can last for several years. The one you opened can last for a little over twelve months, but only if properly stored.
Alcohol doesn’t go bad, but it can change the taste if exposed to air, light, and heat. It might turn sour, losing its spicy flavors altogether, which is why proper storage is as necessary.
There are a few things you can do to prolong its shelf life regardless of whether it’s brand new or you already had a few sips.
Keep in a cool place
RumChata is safe to keep in your pantry if the place is cool, dark, and dry. Keep it away from any heat source, as it can cause the cream in the drink to go bad quicker than you think. You can keep it in your fridge as well if the temperatures in your pantry get too high during summer. Either way, store it in a place where temperatures are consistent in order to keep it from spoiling.
Keep away from light
RumChata comes in an opaque bottle, so it’s somewhat protected from the light. Still, it helps to keep it in the dark area to limit its light exposure even more. When exposed to light, it’s almost always exposed to some heat as well.
Close it tightly
In most cases, you don’t have to transfer your RumChata into another bottle unless you broke the original one. All you should do is ensure that the lid is tightly closed to prevent it from oxidizing. As you probably know, oxidation helps mold growth and will make your drink unusable in only a few weeks.
Think about when you’ll use it
When thinking about the best storage method, you should consider how long you plan on keeping it stored away. If you know you’ll consume it within a few weeks, you can choose pretty much any storage method. On the other hand, if you’re unsure if you’ll use it in the next year, it’s best to keep it in the fridge or freezer to preserve it for as long as possible.
Risks of Consuming an Expired RumChata
RumChata is unlikely to go bad if appropriately stored because it has alcohol. Even though it contains dairy cream, the alcohol makes it a preserved drink.
However, you might still drink a spoiled RumChata if you didn’t notice it has gone bad. You shouldn’t worry if this happens since it’s unlikely it’ll be harmful to your health.
Spoiled rum or dairy might make you sick for several hours, but nothing more severe should happen even if you had an entire cocktail containing RumChata.
What would make you sick is the off smell and taste more so than spoiled ingredients.
Can you Freeze Rumchata?
You can freeze RumChata, but there’s a unique approach to achieve the best results. You should never place the entire bottle in the freezer since it can quickly explode all over the place.
Instead, use ice cube trays to freeze the drink in portions. This way, you have small quantities of RumChata to use in cocktails and other recipes.
Once frozen, RumChata can last a lifetime until you thaw it. Consistent temperatures are crucial for its preservation, whether it’s in the fridge or freezer.
You should check it once in a while, even if you’re not using it as often. Check for moisture growth and freezer burn on the cubes before using them.
Thawing RumChata is quite simple and straightforward. You can either place it in the fridge or thaw at room temperature, depending on your needs and preferences at a time.
Thawing it in the fridge takes several hours, so it’s best if you left it to sit overnight. Remember that the cubes will be only partially frozen because alcohol doesn’t freeze.
You can do the same thing at room temperature, but make sure to place the cubes away from the direct sun. It’ll take a few hours to come to room temperature and be ready for use.
Summary
RumChata is a trendy drink made from rum, cream, and spices. It’s commonly used in cocktails and even coffees where it’s mixed with whipped cream.
It’s an excellent drink with a long shelf life of several years. Best of all – you can store it in your pantry, fridge, and even freezer, depending on your needs.
Storing it in the freezer allows you to split it into smaller, pre-measured portions that are easier to use in cocktails.