Q. I often wondered if there was a shelf life for vodka, gin, whiskey and so on. I have many bottles that were my grandfather's. I have traveled with them for more than 10 years, and I know they had been around at least 10 years before that. Nothing is growing in them. My family elders and extended family do not drink hard liquor anymore. Should I toss them? Do they have a good household cleaning use?
--Janet Sainsbury, Mokena
A. My gut reaction was to say, "Sure, go ahead, scrub the house down with gin. Beats Mr. Clean anytime." But then I thought better of it. Juniper berries smell delicious, but your home could end up reeking like a flophouse.
Alcohol does have antiseptic properties but is flammable; you've got to take care splashing it about.
Spirits don't change much once bottled, so your grandfather's hooch should still be good. As no one in your family drinks, I'd look to give the bottles away to friends or pour the booze down the drain.
Q. Just how can a first-time buyer know or tell if a wine is sweet or not?
--Anthony Drake, Chicago
A. I'm assuming you want a sweet wine, and you should talk first with your local wine merchant. Tell him or her what you want in terms of sweetness, as there are degrees, and the style; sweet wines range from delicate whites to hearty ports.
Check the dessert wine section of the store. There you should find late-harvest wines, Sauternes, ice wines, fruit wines, sherries, Madeiras and ports.
Of course, table wines have varying degrees of sweetness without approaching the levels found in dessert wine. Again, your wine merchant can help you find the softest, least-dry wines.
Whites to look for include certain rieslings, gewurztraminers and Vouvrays. Reds include Beaujolais, Lambrusco and Valpolicella. Midwest wineries, including many here in Illinois, produce table wines using native American or hybrid grapes that are unashamedly on the sweeter side. Experiment.
Do you have a wine or spirit question for Bill Daley? Write to him at the Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org.