Why your whiskey will never freeze in your freezer

Do you drink Whiskey? Have you noticed that no matter how long you put it in your freezer it'll never freeze?

If you notice your bottle of whiskey has suddenly turned solid in your freezer, you should know you might have been sold the wrong product.

This beloved spirit popular for its rich flavours does not freeze in a typical household freezer.

You might have been surprised to know this and may have been wondering why this is so. If yes, here's why your whiskey will never freeze in your freezer:

What Whiskey contains

Whiskey is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. It typically contains between 40% to 50% alcohol by volume (ABV). The primary component in whiskey is ethanol (ethyl alcohol), which has a lower freezing point compared to water. Ethanol freezes at approximately -114°C (-173°F), and your average freezer has a temperature of -18°C (0°F) which is nowhere near the freezing point of ethanol.

To explain further, the freezing point of a liquid is the temperature at which it changes from a liquid to a solid. For pure water, this point is 0°C (32°F), which explains why water will easily turn into "ice block" in your freezer.

However, the presence of alcohol in whiskey significantly lowers the freezing point. In mixtures like whiskey, the freezing point is influenced by the proportion of alcohol to water and other substances present.

In other words, your Whiskey's high alcohol content is the primary reason it does not freeze in a standard freezer. With an ABV of 40% to 50%, the freezing point of whiskey is much lower than the temperature a household freezer can reach.

That's not all though.... Your whiskey will also stay liquid in your freezer because;

It is a eutectic mixture

Whiskey is not a pure substance but a mixture of water, ethanol, and various congeners (flavour compounds). The interaction between these components creates an eutectic mixture, which has a lower freezing point than either component alone.

This complex interaction helps keep whiskey in a liquid state even at very low temperatures.

Phase separation might occur

In some alcoholic beverages with lower alcohol content, freezing can cause phase separation, where water crystals form and the alcohol remains liquid. However, whiskey's high ethanol concentration prevents this from occurring in standard freezer temperatures.

Practical implications

Since whiskey won't freeze in your freezer, some drinkers prefer to store whiskey in the freezer to enjoy a chilled, smooth sip without the need for ice, which can dilute the drink. Since whiskey remains liquid, it can be poured directly from the freezer without losing its quality or flavour profile.

But then, while keeping whiskey in the freezer won't turn it into ice, it is not advisable to just store your whiskey in your freezer.

This is because keeping whiskey in the freezer can dull the flavours especially if you pull out the bottle from your freezer and start pouring immediately.

If you have to keep your whiskey in your freezer, it is recommended to remove it and allow it to chill for some minutes before pouring yourself a glass.

With this in mind, if you notice your bottle of whiskey has suddenly turned to solid in your freezer, then you should know you might have been sold the wrong product.