Do Not Put Vodka In Freezer. Ever.

Jul 14, 2020

 

 

 

 

Putting vodka in freezer sounds like the best idea ever, right? You come home, and you have an ice-cold drink ready to go. The freezing temperature of vodka is pretty low, which means your typical run of the mill freezer is not going to make the bottle ice-up.

You get the benefit of a cold drink without even adding ice, and it’s not like it’s harming anything. So, what is the big fuss about?

Since vodka doesn’t really freeze when you put it in the freezer, you could have ice cold shots ready whenever you want. This is what we have been passing around ever since we could buy booze.

But experts are busting this age-old hack and asking us to keep our vodka away from the freezer? No, the bottle is not going to burst, and the vodka is not going to turn into water. Instead, you could be losing something much more valuable.

If you are a fan of quality vodka, refined flavors, and drink to enjoy the drink, not just to get hammered in record time, you know that excellent vodka has a flavor. Some will have a scented vanilla essence; some will be smokey. They all have full-bodied, mineral-rich profiles. Just like whiskey, your vodka is a complex drink and not just a blank palette you add juice to. This is true for premium vodka.

Can I Put Vodka in Freezer? Is Putting Vodka In Freezer Bad?

According to vodka experts, the vodka loses flavor. The overchilling slowly chips away at the complex notes that give vodka its unique flavor.

But what about the fact that people have been freezing booze since forever. Some have even gone to the extreme of making frozen booze desserts? And what temperature is too low for vodka to start losing its flavor or freezing?

The science is clear. Vodka can indeed freeze. There is no reason if you get vodka to the right temperature, you cannot have a vodka popsicle. Vodka that has 40% alcohol will freeze at -16 degree temperatures. This is way below what your normal freezer can do. A regular freezer could get a couple of degrees below 0 at best.

To truly freeze vodka, you have to get some sort of industrial freezer or coolant. But just because you are not sending your vodka to icetown does not mean that putting your vodka in the freezer will not completely ruin the drink.

Even a normal freezer will slowly dull the subtle nodes of the drink, which is why people who make and love quality vodka suggest that you never should put the drink in the freezer.

Does Vodka Have A Flavor?

If you are surprised at the news that vodka loses its flavor profile when you put it in the freezer, because you didn’t know that vodka has any flavors, then we suggest you try some premium brands.

 Vodka can have very complex and subtle aromas when you are trying and testing these quality brands because they have been made refined just like any other quality liquor.

When you are paying a premium price for a nice drink, do you really want to flash freeze it and lose all the amazing taste of the original? Many of us love vodka as it is, on the rocks, or even in dry martinis. These drinks genuinely let you feel the flavor and aroma of the drink.

Besides, even if you serve it with ice, the right temperature to serve vodka is 0 to 4 degree C, which is the perfect temperature for serving vodka. Drinking vodka at room temperature is just a no-no for anyone.

At best, if you really want a chilled drink, you should put it in the refrigerator. The temperature is not low enough to hit the high notes in the drink. Or best yet, try mixing it with ice or other cold juice if you are a big fan of vodka cocktails.

Why Does Vodka Lose Flavor When You Freeze It?

The science behind this is solid. Liquor experts explain that alcoholic beverages have a substance called the volatiles. No, that is not a Marvel superhero group, but the very thing that holds the flavor of the liquor. When your drink slowly warms up in open air, these flavors are released. Think of it as carbon dioxide bubbles releasing from soda pop in room temperature after pouring.

When the volatiles releases the flavor to fast, your drink loses the flavor fast. This is why some drinks are aged for a long time. Whiskey and wine gain volatiles the longer they are kept for aging. When you get a cold whiskey, you don’t notice the flavor because the flavor releases super slow. When you get a normal temperature whiskey, however, you have the perfect blend.

Since vodka does not contain so many volatiles, you put it with ice because you want the flavor to be released slowly. If you drink it at room temperature, you get a big hit of all the flavor at once, and then pretty much nothing.

What If Your Vodka Is Not Premium?

Now some of you think of vodka as the means to a destination, and we are down with that. If you are buying cheap vodka, you are not in it for the complex flavors, and getting drink fast and easy is the goal, in that case, you should put your vodka in the freezer. Yes, this is the exact opposite of what we have been telling you.

Unless you are drinking vodka soda or some kind of cocktail, you should do it. Putting your normal vodka in the freezer will help dull some of the aggressive notes that these drinks have. It’s a good idea to burn off the harsh notes so you can enjoy a much smoother drink while you are trying to get your booze on.

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