Beverages are a staple of festive gatherings with family and friends. Whether it's safe to drink leftover beverages from the night before has long been a topic of discussion online.
Is it safe to drink beverages left out overnight? And how long do opened drinks actually last? The rule of thumb is that once a beverage has been opened, it's best to consume it within 12 hours, overnight or not.
The experiment also showed that the way a person drinks from a bottle can influence contamination levels. Drinking with only the lips touching half of the bottle opening introduced fewer bacteria into the liquid compared to drinking with the mouth wrapped fully around the rim.
Experts explained that beverages are sealed and remain sterile until opened. Once the package is opened and consumed, the drink is easily exposed to bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms from the mouth or surrounding air. If conditions such as temperature, humidity, and nutrient levels are favorable, these microbes can multiply rapidly during storage.
If you decide to drink it, remember these three points:
Try to pour the beverage into a clean cup for drinking, especially with large bottles — avoid drinking directly from them.
For beverages that have been sipped directly from the container, it is best to finish them within 1 – 2 hours, especially freshly made milk tea, which should be consumed within an hour. The more complex the ingredients, the quicker it should be finished.
If you really can't finish it immediately, seal it tightly and refrigerate it, but you'd better not keep it refrigerated for more than 12 hours (since refrigeration only slows microbial growth and does not completely prevent it).