Regrettably, it’s a common misfortune amongst beer aficionados to discover that their favored grain-based beverage can actually freeze. This unfortunate discovery is often made when forgotten bottles, left in the freezer for rapid cooling, are found the next day, frozen solid. On the flip side, you may have opened a can in frigid conditions and observed the beer remain a liquid. Which leads us to wonder, what is the precise temperature at which beer freezes? The answer, it seems, hinges on the alcohol content.

Pure ethanol, also known as the form of alcohol in our alcoholic drinks, boasts a freezing point of approximately -173 F whilst water solidifies at 32 F. Since beers comprise a blend of alcohol and water, the freezing point is dictated by the relative quantities of these two components. Consequently, less alcoholic beverages like beer, freeze around higher temperatures compared to spirits such as vodka and whiskey. The average beer freezes near 28 F, suggesting that a domestic refrigerator provides a safe storage environment – unlike the freezer.

More details: 10 Of The Healthiest Beers You Can Drink

Typically, beers possess a 4% to 6% alcohol by volume (ABV) range, although double IPAs and craft versions might surge past 10% ABV. As the alcoholic content rises, the freezing point descends. Despite a regular beer freezing around 28 F, a beer with double-digit ABV will freeze notably lower. Based on data from CERN, a mixture of ethanol and water freezes at 21.2 F when the ethanol content touches 10%. This temperature is calculated assuming that the beer only has water and ethanol in its composition. In reality, minor adjustments in the freezing point might occur due to sugars and additives in the beer, but these variations will be negligible.

Most home refrigerators maintain a temperature below 40 F but above freezing, which keeps beer in a perfectly chilled state without freezing it. However, moving your beers to the freezer changes this. Home freezers are typically maintained at 0 F, which is far below the freezing point of even high AVB beers and can freeze the beer in bottles or cans rapidly. Along with freezing, the water inside expands which could result in popped tabs and cracked glass bottles – creating a slushy beer mess in your freezer. Even if the container does not rupture, it’s probably best to avoid drinking beer that has thawed after freezing. The thawing process causes the beer to oxidize, resulting in a strong and stale flavor. More on this topic here.

Many might have noticed that bottles of vodka and other similar alcohols don’t freeze in the same way. These spirits do eventually freeze, but at extremely low temperatures. Most distilled spirits – including vodka, whiskey, tequila, and rum – are usually sold at 80 proof, which is twice the AVB. This means a bottle of 80-proof vodka contains 40% alcohol by volume. Based on the freezing point chart by CERN, mixtures with 40% ethanol freeze at -13.9 F. Stronger 100-proof liquors won’t freeze until they reach -28.3 F. More on this topic here.

Under typical circumstances, home freezers are incapable of reaching such low temperatures, which means it’s generally safe to store bottles of liquor in the freezer. However, liqueurs, which are spirits that contain sugars and additives and are usually of a lesser proof like Campari and Kahlua, are another matter. These cocktail prerequisites are usually between 30-proof and 60-proof, which means their alcohol content is low enough for the bottles to freeze in a conventional home freezer.

You can read the original article on Daily Meal.