eli5 – Why do cream infused liquors like baileys and kahlúa not require refrigeration and have such a long shelf life?
In: Chemistry
Alcohol is a natural preservative. The more alcohol is in something, the harder it is for anything else to grow in it. (In fact, this is why stronger drinks have to be distilled – there’s only so much concentration of alcohol that fermenting yeast can live in, before it kills itself)
In general, anything above 40 proof is pretty shelf stable. Alcohol, salts, and tannins (like in wine) kill bacteria. In addition, if it’s sterile going in and stays well sealed, it won’t spoil at least until you open it. Sunlight can damage molecules (this is why most tasty things are in brown or green bottles), so you’ve got to keep them away from that.
But why does bailey’s not last forever? Eventually, you’ll get some reactions, some separation / breakdown of the milk, a little bit of bacterial contamination, and things will just fall apart.
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