For the most part, wine, beers, and liqueurs have a long shelf life thanks to their high alcohol content and complex sugars -- both of which are preservatives. However, to make the most of your liquor cabinet and wine rack, you'll need to know some basics for alcohol storage. If you're a wine aficionado, beer nerd, or budding whiskey enthusiast, read below for the best ways to store your beloved booze: Red wine is a common alcohol for storage, as many people simply have a glass (or two) with dinner, then save the rest of the bottle for later. Whether it's a brand new bottle or you've had a few glasses and re-cork it, wine needs to be stored in a cool environment (ideally between 45 degrees and 65 degrees Fahrenheit). If the wine gets too warm, it will get flat and you won't taste those robust, vine-ripened flavors that make red wine so great. Warmer temperatures will also cause wooden corks to expand, which allows air to seep in -- resulting in bad wine. Keep red wine away from sunlight -- this too can alter the wine's chemical structure.

If you can, buy a wine rack that stores the bottles sideways. Not only does this save space, but it also keeps the cork hydrated -- preserving the shelf life of your wine. Once it's in the rack, let it be: Wine is best left undisturbed until you're ready to enjoy it. Unlike red wine, white wine varietals aren't typically aged as long. However, they still require some storage IQ to taste great. According to Vintage Cellars, you'll want to aim for 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit for white wine storage. Sparkling wines (like champagne and prosecco) will need to be stored on the cooler side of the scale, while full-bodied white wine (think chardonnay) can be stored on the higher end of the scale. Like red wine, white wine bottles should be re-corked after opening and stored on their sides to prevent cork dehydration. Often, white wines will keep in the fridge for a few days after reopening. Keep in mind that in the case of red or white wine, if the bottle has sat out too long, it can still be used for cooking.

With basic domestic macro brews, you can keep the beers tucked in the fridge from three to six months and they'll still be perfectly fine to drink. However, as you're likely aware, craft beer is king, and with its popularity comes an entirely different storage system. Similar to red wine, some craft beers actually benefit from a maturation process. According to Beer Advocate, these include Belgian strong ales, lambics, imperial stouts, old ales, and barleywine. For the most part, you can store beers upright unless they have a wooden cork, in which case you might want to store the bottles sideways in the fridge (though this is a very rare exception). However, once you open a beer, it's best to enjoy it in its entirety. For one, warm beer isn't the greatest. Secondly, most beer can't be re-sealed like wine and liquor-- so it will lose its fizziness and go flat after a few hours. For the most part, beers (like wine) can be stored in temperatures between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whether it's vodka, rum, or whiskey, liquors can be stored at room temperature whether they're opened or unopened. food and wine best herbal remediesOver time, though, the flavor and alcohol content will dissipate, so there is no need to continue to age finer bourbons and scotch. best wine for under 200Once their out of the distillery, it's in your best interest to let the sipping and nightcaps begin!buy wine selection A lot of people like to store lighter liquors like vodka, light rum, and gin in the freezer, but there is no evidence that this makes them last longer (though it's great if you like extra-chilled martinis).buy wine online in germany

Keep in mind that cream and berry liqueurs last around one year before they start to go bad, so look for expiration dates before shaking up those dessert cocktails. best wine dinners nycA cool, dark place with a constant temperature is great for liquor and wine storage, which is why liquor cabinets are a perfect idea for apartment dwellers (hey, we can't all afford a cellar).can you buy wine online in georgia That should cover the basics for booze storage. the best wine in chicagoBe sure to keep these tips in mind next time you're planning on long-term storage for those adult beverages. wine good type 2 diabetesBy Kendall-Jackson on January 28th, 2011best way to get red wine to room temperature

It's common knowledge: white wine is served chilled and red wine served at room temperature. But what is seemingly normal behaviour could actually be destroying the tipple - the warm Australian climate proving to have a negative effect on red wines.While the average summer temperature of an Australian home ranges between 22 and 24 degrees, the preferred 'room temperature' for red wine is actually between 14 and 16 degrees. Missing out: Australian wine lovers are not getting the most out of their wine, with many drinking it at the wrong temperatureWhile red wines are supposed to be consumed at room temperature, the average room temperature of Australian homes (22 - 24 degrees) is warmed than the ideal 14 - 16 degrees that originated in medieval France This is due to the advice originating in Medieval France where their drawing rooms were this temperature. With eight out of 10 Australians choosing to drink their wine at 'room temperature', this means thousands are not getting the very best out of their chosen beverage. 

'Temperature is a vital piece in making sure wine is enjoyed at its very best,' Managing Director of Taylors Wines, Mitchell Taylor, said.'The warm Australian climate is not so great for storing and drinking wine...it's an issue that most wine lovers don't know is having a massive impact on their enjoyment and appreciation of wine.' The majority: Eight of 10 Australians choose to drink their red wines at room temperature Not just red lovers: Those who love white wine may also be damaging their wines by over chilling them But it's not just glasses of shiraz, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon that are being consumed at less than ideal temperatures.While white wine is enjoyed cold, if it is chilled too much the wine can be damaged and its flavour can be masked due to acidic flavours becoming more pronounced. And as 77 per cent of Australians enjoy refrigerated white wine and a whopping 21 per cent serve it straight from the freezer, white wine lovers are losing out as well.

Fix it: By taking white wine out of the fridge for 30 minutes and putting red wine in 30 minutes before consumption they will be at optimum drinking temperature The perfect temperature: Taylors Wines recommends the perfect temperature for each wine variety Making it easy: The Taylors Estate range have developed an 'Optimum Drinking Temperature Sensor' to help customers determine if their wine is ready to drink. According to Taylors, this means over 406,000 bottles of red wine and 436,000 bottles of white wine each day are being consumed at the wrong temperature. The company's chief winemaker, Adam Eggins, has suggested ways to combat the temperature issues. Mr Eggins suggests putting a red wine in the fridge for 30 minutes prior to serving to give it time to chill to optimum drinking temperature and those who prefer whites should pull them out of the fridge for 30 minutes to open the aromas back up. The Taylors Estate range have developed an 'Optimum Drinking Temperature Sensor' to help customers determine if their wine is ready to drink.