Wasn’t there a thought that alcohol should be left fermenting longer for it to taste better? Well, it turns out that beer does go past its prime. However, unlike determining when food such as bread, milk, and fruits spoil– this beverage doesn’t show an easily discernible sign of rotting. According to Neil Witte, one of the 22 Master Cicerones (certified beer experts) in the world, beer does expire. "Because of the alcohol content in beer, and the presence of hops—which have antimicrobial characteristics—there's not any pathogen growth," Witte shared. “The worst thing that's going to happen to beer when it gets old is that it's going to taste bad."
Beers can have varying shelf-life based on how they are brewed. The beer artisan recommends that people should drink beer as fresh as possible, especially if the bottle they plan to purchase will not be for aging. Witte also shared how to check if a beer is past its expiration date– and that is through its packaging. "There's no obligation for brewers to provide to consumers the packaging date for the expiration date," says Witte. He recommended to not buy a bottle that doesn’t have a marked expiration date on it.
What happens when you get to drink an expired beer? Well, Witte told Eating Well that nothing happens. "The worst thing that's going to happen is that you're going to have a beer that doesn't taste good," he said. “There’s no risk in drinking old beer.”
Image credit: Pavel Danilyuk