Have you ever pulled a beer out of the back of the refrigerator and thought; how long has this been in here? If you are like me, you immediately think whether or not you want to risk drinking it. And you may start to wonder, does craft beer expire?

The short answer is no, even old beer can be consumed in most situations as long as the bottle or can has remained sealed,  preventing bacteria from getting to the beer.

There’s lots more to consider and understand, so keep reading to make sure you understand all there is to know about old beer.

Before you jump into that topic, make sure you are buying fresh beer. Learn all about craft beer shelf life and how it impacts flavor.

Even if you buy fresh beer, you may wonder if your beer will expire? And if it gets old, is it harmful to drink?

Let’s talk about the factors that can change beer over time and understand if beer can expire.

Safety Versus Tasty

There are two completely different topics but both apply to the question; does craft beer expire?

The first concern is safety – we all want to understand the health risks that may come along with drinking expired or old beer.

And it’s a reasonable question considering most food can spoil over time. Which is why they have expiration dates. Spoiled food can cause illness and other issues.

Couple that with the common discussion about drinking beer fresh and you’ve got a lot of reasons to believe that old beer isn’t safe.

According to all of the research I’ve done, beer doesn’t expire. In fact, people have been known to drink beer that is decades or more old without severe issues. Now that doesn’t mean they felt great afterwards but it typically won’t cause harm.

But does this old beer taste good? That takes us to the next topic, will it be tasty?

Factors That Impact The Flavor Of Beer

So if beer doesn’t expire, we have to question how good it will taste after sitting for extended periods of time.

There are a number of factors that will impact the flavor that we’ll go over next. But I want to make it clear that this article isn’t about aging craft beer. Aging or cellaring craft beer is the intentional process of letting beer get old to see if what new flavors may develop.

Check Out This Article To Learn More About Aging Craft Beer

While much of the topic is similar, this article is focused on what happens when beer sits for longer than you or the brewery intended it to.

Beer Style

A key factor is the beer itself. The style will have a huge impact on what happens to the flavors over time. Light body, low ABV beers tend to have their flavor deteriorate faster than darker, high ABV beer.

So a 10% ABV Imperial Stout will handle years of age while a 4% American Lager will see flavor changes in the first year.

Packaging

How a beer is packaged is another important factor. This is because light and oxygen are two components that break down the flavors in beer.

For this reason, canned beer will do much better over extended periods than bottles.

Canned beer prevents light from entering the beer and maintains an air tight seal better.

Beer bottles can be dark brown, green or clear. The darker the color, the better it is at preventing UV light from reaching the beer and “skunking” it. But even dark bottles still let some UV light to get to the beer.

In addition, the caps on a bottle of beer have a seal on them. This seal can break down over time and allow air into the bottle.

Temperature Changes

Much like light and oxygen, temperature will impact how a beer flavors changes – especially the rate at which it happens.

First off, it is best to keep beer under 50 degrees when possible. For that reason, storing it in a refrigerator is ideal. And it is never a good idea for beer to get warm or overheated which can happen if it is left out in the sun.

But it is also just as important to keep it at a consistent temperature. Allowing it to warm up and cold down multiple times isn’t good for beer.

For these reason, I recommend keeping beer in a cool, consistent area or in a refrigerator. If you can dedicate a spare refrigerator to beer then you are doing even better.

Freshness At Time Of Purchase

If you buy beer that isn’t fresh then you are already working with a “ticking” time bomb.

For this reason, it is important to buy beer that you believe is within the “best buy” time frame and has been handled properly.

Retails stores should strive to maintain consistent storage temperature and prevent beer from being stored where UV light can reach it.

Bottom line, there’s a lot of ways that a craft beer can lose its intended flavor as well as other characteristics like color, smell, and body.

And while some beers do age well, there is a point where all beer will start to turn for the worst. Light, low ABV beers will see this impact much faster than dark, high ABV ones.

If a beer is just a few months past its expiration date, you probably won’t notice a huge difference. But when you let it sit for years, you are bound to find a lot has changed and not always for the best.

More About Craft Beer: Are You Drinking Beer Too Cold?

Does Craft Beer Expire?

No. Beer doesn’t expire. As long as it is sealed then you can drink it years or even decades after it was brewed.

So if you want to drink the old beer that’s been in the bottom of your refrigerator for a few year, go for it – at your own risk, of course. Depending on the factors listed above, it will probably not taste as it was originally intended.

At best, it will have actually developed some new and interesting flavors that are pleasant. However, there’s a really good chance that the flavor won’t be appealing at all but it shouldn’t harm you.

I’m not a doctor, nutritionist, chemist, or other expert so there are probably better qualified people to ask if you are seriously considering drinking extremely old beer.

However, I’ve heard of many finding beer that is a few decades old and trying it just for fun while others have had the chance to sample beer nearly 100 years old. And I haven’t heard of anyone getting more than a stomach ache from it.

Have you ever tried really old beer? Hopefully it was an interesting experience but I have a feeling it isn’t something you’d do on a regular basis.

Want To Age Craft Beer? Check Out This Article