Can You Drink Expired Beer?

Learning to homebrew

But, is it okay to drink?

Everyone has discovered some old beer in the fridge that is long past its expiration or 'best by' date

Fortunately for your wallet, expired beer is normally completely safe to drink and the most common issue is just a change in flavor, usually for the worse.

But why?

You see, every style of beer will peak in flavor after a certain amount of time, and then it will slowly start to degrade due to oxidation, light, and heat.

Beers with lots of hop flavor and aroma, for instance, peak early and lose their flavor much more quickly than malty ales or light lagers.

So, how long do beers typically last, anyway?

In most cases, beer will have an expiration date somewhere between 3-12 months after its bottling date.

Simpler, lower ABV beers will land on the lower end of that time period while larger, more complex beers can last even longer

Learn more about 'best by,' 'born on,' and expiration dates by reading the full article!