Updated April 2026.
Unopened tequila does not go bad like margarita mix. Most US bottles are 40% ABV. Mexican rules allow 35–55% ABV for tequila. At spirit strength ordinary microbes do not live in the bottle. TTB does not require an expiration date on distilled spirits. A sealed bottle stored upright, cool, and dark can sit for years and still be tequila.
Opened tequila oxidizes. Agave and oak flatten. That is quality, not a USDA leftover. Month clocks on the 2022 page were folklore. Blanco, reposado, and añejo follow the same sealed-bottle logic. The barrel already did the aging. The glass bottle does not keep “finishing” it.
Sealed vs opened
| Condition | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed 35–55% tequila, cool, dark, upright | Stable for years | Leave it |
| Opened, mostly full | Slow oxidation | Cap tightly |
| Opened, mostly empty | Faster fade | Decant smaller if you care |
| Mix / RTD margarita | Juice, sugar, dairy, or carbonation clocks | Follow the date. Not this bottle |
| Cloudy, off, rotten | Rare contamination | Dump it |
Tequila vs the mixer
Tequila is a distilled agave spirit (NOM / CRT in Mexico; TTB on the US label). Jose Cuervo margarita mix is a grocery mixer and really can spoil — see does Jose Cuervo margarita mix expire. Do not store leftover lime juice in the tequila bottle and then ask if “the tequila went bad.”
Flavored tequila and cream liqueurs (coffee, coconut, dairy) are not blanco. If the label is a liqueur, follow that label. 100% agave vs mixto does not change the sealed-bottle food-safety story. It can change how fast you notice oxidation, because there is more to lose.
Storage
- Upright, tight cap, out of sun.
- Room temperature. The freezer mutes aroma and will not freeze 80-proof solid.
- A decanter is for serving. Light and a loose stopper speed fade — see whiskey in a decanter for the same air problem.
Tired tequila still works in a margarita. It is a waste neat. For drink math see how many shots of tequila to get drunk. A 1.5-ounce pour of 40% is one US standard drink (NIAAA).
Sources
- TTB: distilled spirits are not required to carry an expiration date.
- Tequila ABV band 35–55% (Mexican CRT / NOM); most US bottles 40% — read the label.
- Opened month clocks: not a TTB or CRT consumer spec — cut as folklore.