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Does Gin Freeze?

A lot of people are confused about whether it’s safe to freeze gin. As a small batch craft gin maker, we know the stuff inside out – so we’ve put together this handy guide to freezing gin and other types of alcohol.

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Can you freeze gin?

The short answer is no, not unless you have some liquid nitrogen on hand. Gin doesn’t freeze because its ABV (that’s its ‘alcohol by volume’ level) is at least 37.5% – which is too high to turn into ice in the temperatures an average household freezer can achieve.

Normal household freezers typically have a temperature no lower than –23ºC to –18ºC, which is nowhere near cold enough to freeze gin.

However, you should still store your gin in the freezer! As the temperature drops, the viscosity (thickness) of a liquid increases, improving the texture of the gin. This is especially true for premium gins like ours.

Some of the world’s best cocktail bars, like Dukes Bar in London, keep their gin in the freezer along with martini glasses and they pride themselves on making the perfect gin martini.

An added bonus of putting gin in the freezer is that this storage solution keeps it away from heat and light – the two things that can ruin any spirit.

In fact, our grape-based gin tastes even better when served ice cold, straight from the freezer. It’s so smooth in fact, that you can even drink Sing Gin neat.

Tips for freezing gin

To store gin in the freezer safely, ensure the lid is screwed on tightly. You don’t want any spillages – gin is far too precious to waste.

If you’re storing Sing Gin in the freezer, you just need to make sure the natural, environmentally-friendly cork stopper is fitted snuggly into the neck of the bottle. Be sure to wet the cork first by tipping the bottle at an angle – this way there’s no chance of it drying out and affecting the liquid. Any liquid with a natural cork stopper should be stored upright, ideally.

When keeping your gin in the freezer, keep it away from any foods. This prevents it from picking up smells.

If your gin has been stored at room temperature, it will need at least an hour in the freezer to get to the perfect cold temperature.

To prolong the superior mouth feel of gin that has been kept in the freezer, serve in a chilled glass with lots of ice. Don’t worry, the ice won’t dilute the gin – it just lowers the temperature of your drink and helps it stay colder for longer, so you get to enjoy every last sip. We recommend adding your favourite gin garnish and mix your spirit with a delicious gin mixer for the full experience.

Before you place your gin in the freezer, be sure to check the alcohol content. Some gin-based drinks including pre-mixed cocktails might have a high water content and this will make them freeze easier. You might end up with a slushy consistency – but that isn’t always a bad thing!

Of course, if there’s no room in the freezer you can store your gin in the fridge instead.

How long can you freeze gin?

Putting your gin in the freezer doesn’t ruin the gin. In fact, it’s the best way to maintain the quality of the spirit. You can keep gin in the freezer as long as you like. However, you must ensure it’s in an airtight bottle as oxygen can impact the taste of the spirit. Read our guide to storing gin for more information.

Gin bottles won’t explode in the freezer!

Can you refreeze gin?

No – it’s impossible to freeze good gin once, so you definitely can’t freeze it twice! That being said, there’s no problem with popping your ice cold gin back into the freezer once you’ve poured the perfect gin and tonic.

Why did my gin freeze?

If you’ve stored your gin in the freezer and you find it has taken on a slushy consistency, the reason is that the gin has a water content that is too high. Water freezes at 32 degrees, a much higher point than alcohol – so the water will be frozen but the alcohol won’t be. Gins with a higher water content like this should be kept in the fridge instead.

What alcohol can you freeze?

In addition to gin, other types of alcohol with a high ABV cannot be frozen in your kitchen freezer. This includes spirits like vodka, rum, tequila and whisky. Like gin though, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t store them in the freezer! Many spirits are best served chilled.

Vodka consists primarily of water and ethanol. Pure water has a freezing point of 0ºC or 32ºF, while pure ethanol has a freezing point of -114ºC or -173ºF. Because it’s a combination of chemicals, vodka doesn’t freeze at the same temperature as either water or alcohol.

Putting a warm can of beer or wine in the freezer to chill it for a short period or so is a good idea – just don’t forget about it!

Beer and wine will freeze in a home freezer because they contain much lower levels of alcohol than distilled spirits. Beer is typically 4-6% alcohol (sometimes as high as 12%), while wine tends to be around 12-15% ABV.

Wine is 85 to 90 percent water, so it freezes at about -6.7 C — the water freezes first at zero C. Never store bottles of wine in the freezer. Decant your wine into plastic containers or bags instead. Water expands when it freezes, so the pressure could cause the wine bottle to crack and the cork to be pushed out.

Beer, which is mostly water, should not be frozen. If you forget about a can or bottle in the freezer for a day or two, the water could expand enough to pop the bottle tops or explode the cans.

Every type of alcohol has its own freezing point, and it changes depending on what it’s mixed with and the container it’s stored in. The freezing point varies depending on the spirit’s proof, or alcoholic concentration, which is double its alcohol percentage.

The higher the proof of a given alcohol, the lower the freezing point — in other words, higher alcoholic concentration makes a spirit harder to freeze.

In short, gin is best kept in the freezer. Give it a go and let us know what you think!

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