Does Alcohol Evaporate? See The Truth

We get this question a lot. Does alcohol evaporate? From the bottles? From the decanters too? Let’s have a look at this frequently made inquiries today! We actually want to talk a bit about barrel aging, too. We’re Kentucky bourbon buffs, so we feel the need.

And of course,
let’s discuss our decanters. We are pumped to introduce you to our amazing
lineup and one of its best features. Ready to get to know alcohol up-close and
personal?

(Our answer to that is always YES.)

So, Does Alcohol Evaporate?

First, we'd like to take this opportunity to mention the “angel’s share,” since we’re on the topic of evaporation. We have a lot of liquor newbies in our circle, so we’re always looking for ways to help them learn.

The “Angel’s Share”

When wine or spirit is aged in barrels, some of the liquid evaporates. In the process, that liquid disappears into the heavens, so to speak. Hence, “angel’s share.” Several factors contribute to this -- like the size of the barrel, temperature/climate, how it’s stored, and the spirit’s age so far.

As you might
guess, warm and humid climates see more evaporation of alcohol. If you have a
drier climate, water evaporates, strengthening the alcohol.

Smaller barrels
see more alcohol evaporation. And if barrels are stored above ground, that
angelic air moves around the barrel. You know what that means…more alcohol
evaporates.

Further, the alcohol evaporates more slowly as a spirit ages.

“Devil’s cut” refers to the alcohol absorbed by the barrel itself. Here’s a quick video about the tradeoff.

Does Alcohol Evaporate from Its Bottle?

Over time, your
bottles can lose their alcohol content. It’s true. Many distilleries will tell
you: when whiskey and such is in the barrel, it’ll lose around 4 percent of its
alcohol in a year’s time. On average, bottles lose nearly 2 percent per year.
If you’re keeping a special bottle on hand, after a decade, that bottle has
likely lost 20 percent of its original alcohol content.

Some people
say, Oh well, it’s all a natural part of the process. We say it doesn’t
have to be that way.

Does Alcohol Evaporate from a Decanter?

Barrel-shaped decanter - with an airtight stainless steel spigot that lasts a lifetime. | Made by Prestige

It can. And it does. UNLESS… you have the right decanter.

We’re
Louisville kids here at Prestige. We DO
NOT play when it comes to our liquor--particularly our bourbon. Before our
company began, we noticed a lack of unique decanters. Decanters were boring.
So, we decided to fix that with some amazing creativity. But we also vowed to
make decanters that would preserve the good stuff.

We’re certainly not angels, but we do like our share. And we like it protected. We know you prefer this, too. Have a look at our striking Tomoka Gold Decanter in action right here. If you don’t have a tight seal, your alcohol will evaporate. Ugh. It makes us cringe. Which is why we use a ground glass stopper on our decanters. This prevents evaporation. Quality materials lead to years of quality liquor. Whatever you decide to store in our decanters will be safe.

Hand-blown glass decanters aren’t wooden barrels. And with our signature seal, no air will damage your favorite pours.

Say No to Alcohol Evaporation!

For more information about our signature air-tight spigot, read Meet the Prestige Decanters Spigot! We like for our Prestige fam and potential customers to understand our products thoroughly. We’re proud of them, so there’s never anything to hide.

If you could
have any one of our decanters, which would it be? We’re super curious. We’d
love to hear from you below in the comments. Ping us with your wish list! Oooh,
and don’t forget about our whiskey glasses. They’re pretty sweet. Great for gifts to
others (and yourself).

We hope we’ve
cleared up any questions you had about alcohol and evaporation. Stick around
and keep reading the blog to discover more. We’re happy you’re here.