46% alcohol, so such undiluted “cask-
strength” spirits are often not chill-filtered.
(Some spirits cloud spectacularly; see p. 771).
Serving and Enjoying Spirits
Crystal Decanters Can Be Hazardous High-
alcohol spirits are biologically and chemically
stable and can be kept for years without
spoiling. One traditional and decorative way
of storing them has been the decanter made of
glass crystal, which derives its weight and
appearance from the element lead.
Unfortunately, lead is powerfully toxic to the
nervous system, and readily leaches from
crystal into spirits and other acidic liquids.
Old decanters that have been used many times
have been preextracted and are safe to use;
new ones should either be pretreated to
remove lead from the inner surfaces, or only
used for serving, not storing.