Sparkling water is a delicious and refreshing drink that you can enjoy on its own or mixed with something else. However you drink your sparkling water, you probably want to make sure that it’s still okay to consume, especially if it’s been sitting around for a while.
Does sparkling water expire? Sparkling water does eventually expire, but it doesn’t really go rancid. It just loses its quality over time, and may even start to lose some of its carbonation. Still, it lasts quite a long time before this happens, and it’s still safe to drink even if it doesn’t taste as good.
Let’s learn more about the shelf life of sparkling water and how to keep it good for as long as possible.
How Long Does Sparkling Water Last?
Unopened sparkling water will generally last about 12-18 months when it’s stored correctly. Once you open a bottle with a screw on lid, it will usually last about 3 days. If you open a can, expect to drink it all pretty quickly because it will lose its carbonation within a few hours.
After all of these times are up, the sparkling water may start to worsen in quality and have less flavor. It also may start to lose its carbonation and become pretty flat. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s not safe to drink, it just means that it’s probably going to be less enjoyable than a brand new sparkling water would be.
The way that you store your sparkling water is a big influence on how long it stays good. You want to make sure that you are keeping it in the best possible environment so that you can increase the drink’s longevity.
How Should You Store Sparkling Water?
Sparkling water should be kept in a cool and dark place, and doing so will make it stay good for as long as possible. The best place to put your sparkling water is in the fridge, but it can also be stored in the back of a cabinet or pantry.
The fridge is the most reliable way to store your sparkling water because it will preserve the flavor longer and keep the drink cold (which is good if you are like me and don’t enjoy lukewarm sparkling water). The cold also slows bacteria growth, which isn’t really a common problem in sparkling water, but it can’t hurt to have that extra protection.
If you don’t want to store your sparkling water in the fridge for whatever reason, keeping it in a dark and cool cabinet is the next best thing. The number one thing you want to make sure of is that you aren’t storing it next to any heat sources such as heaters or ovens, because this can make the drink lose flavor quicker.
How Do You Tell If Sparkling Water Has Gone Bad?
You can’t really tell if sparkling water has gone bad without opening it and giving it a taste. Though, if it has a very strong smell once opened, this means that it’s bad and you don’t really have to taste it if that’s the case.
If your sparkling water tastes pretty dull or has weak carbonation, this is a sign that it has gone bad. However, bad sparkling water is generally safe to drink, and if you don’t mind diminished bubbles or flavor then drinking the water really won’t harm you.
That being said, if the sparkling water somehow has a really strange odor or taste and just seems completely off, it’s best to not take your chances and just dump it. Plus, it probably wouldn’t be all that enjoyable if you were to continue drinking something with a strange odor and taste, so throwing it out would make the most sense.
Can You Freeze Sparkling Water to Keep It Fresh Longer?
You can freeze sparkling water, but you have to make sure that you are doing it correctly so that it doesn’t explode. Furthermore, it is very likely that the water will lose its fizziness when you freeze it. So though freezing the water is possible, it is a lot of work to go through and it probably won’t even stay as fresh as it would normally.
Since there’s pressured carbon dioxide in sparkling water, it will expand when frozen. This means that you can’t freeze it in its original container because there is a risk that it will explode. You can freeze the water in ice cube trays or in a freezer safe container. Just make sure that you don’t fill up the container all the way, because the water will expand as it freezes.
All of this said, freezing your carbonated water doesn’t really have any benefits. As it expands, the carbon dioxide will be pushed out and it will result in flat sparkling water when you thaw it. The flavor of the water should stay fresh when it’s frozen, but losing the carbonation will definitely make the drink not as good.
When it comes to freezing sparkling water, it doesn’t really make a lot of sense. It’s challenging and doesn’t keep the water fresh. Plus, sparkling water already stays good for a very long amount of time in the fridge, and chances are that you will finish it before it even gets the chance to deplete in quality.
Final Thoughts
Sparkling water is a delicious drink and it will stay good for a very long amount of time. Even if you find one in the back of your fridge that is expired, it’s most likely completely fine to drink. The only downside of expired sparkling water is that it may lose its flavor and carbonation a little bit.
Overall, sparkling water doesn’t really spoil, and you will most likely finish it before it starts to decrease in quality. Either way, we hope this article helped you understand sparkling water a little bit better, and know that you can enjoy it for a long time before worrying about whether or not it’s gone bad.