Does bitters go bad?

[trumpstylz]

Does anyone know if it goes bad??

[sku]

It probably depends on the bitters. Most bitters have an abv comparable to spirits (Angostura are 45% abv) so they don't really go bad but probably can lose some flavor if allowed to languish for a long time at a low fill level. Bitters that are made from fresh fruit or have other fresh ingredients probably can go bad.

[Eth3rStrik3r]

It probably depends on the bitters. Most bitters have an abv comparable to spirits (Angostura are 45% abv) so they don't really go bad but probably can lose some flavor if allowed to languish for a long time at a low fill level. Bitters that are made from fresh fruit or have other fresh ingredients probably can go bad.

My bottle of Angostura bitters that I've had for about 4 years tastes pretty bland, but it doesn't taste bad by any means, so I think you pretty much nailed it.

[moose]

In my experience I have never noticed them go bad. Granted I rarely use them, and with what little taste they impart, I would be hard pressed to tell if they had gone bad.

[ratcheer]

My Stirrings Blood Orange bitters seems to contain no alcohol and the label says, "Refrigerate after opening." So, I assume it can go bad.

Tim

[cowdery]

It probably depends on the product and, as with the Stirrings, if the label advises you to refrigerate it after opening, then it probably can go bad. Otherwise, probably not. For some people, a bottle of Angostura lasts a life time. But with Angostura, if it went bad, how would you know? Would it suddenly taste good?