We’re not saying you should dump out all of your good craft whiskey. In fact, we’re encouraging you to do a little summer cleaning of your liquor cabinet… We’ve all got gifted bottles or cheap spirits in the back of our cabinets we know we’re not going to drink. Here are some ways you can put that alcohol to use so you can make more room for what you really like: craft spirits distilled with the local flavors that pair perfectly with a summer afternoon. Check out four summer uses for leftover liquor below!

1. Get rid of patio pests

Nobody wants their patio overrun with insects. Did you know that fruit flies, cockroaches and slugs and snails are all attracted to fermented beverages? Mix up a cocktail with leftover spirits and whatever juice you’ve got on hand and then leave it on your patio table. The insects will fly in and drown. For snails and slugs, this works best with beer.

2. Pick your poison 

Where there is a problem in life, vodka is the solution. Okay, not always, but if you have a close personal encounter with poison ivy while hiking or picnicking this summer, you can relieve yourself of the need to scratch with vodka. To avoid the uncomfortable reaction, immediately pour vodka on skin that has come into contact with the itchy plant, and the alcohol will wash away the culprit, urushiol oil.

3. Get better quarantine hair

Whiskey has healing properties, and while it can heal you from a bad day or a bad breakup, it can also heal your damaged hair. That’s right! For a shiny head of hair, just mix a little bit of whiskey in with a raw egg and work the mixture into your hair. Let it sit for 20 minutes, and then wash out with your usual shampoo. This treatment works best when repeated once a week and can lead to shinier, healthier hair!

4. Wine not use gin?

We’ve all been there. You’re holding a glass of red wine and then the stem slips… Get rid of red wine stains on clothing or fabric with a little bit of gin. Simply blot the red wine stain with a clean cloth or paper towel and then follow it up by blotting with a cloth dampened by gin. The gin pulls the stain to the surface and helps the cloth soak it up.

Summer uses for leftover liquor include lifting stains off couches, keeping your patio bug free and managing your quarantine hair. But overall, these uses are just a good excuse to make some room in your cabinets for the spirits you love to drink. Support our distillery partners during this time by ordering spirits from their online shops and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for links to newly released spirits and more!