Expired Beer: Is It Safe To Drink?

Drinking out-of-date beer is unlikely to be dangerous, but it might not taste very nice. Beers are produced with expiry dates, but these are more of a guideline on quality than safety. Beer is less susceptible to bacterial build-up than food products, due to its fermentation process, low pH level, and alcohol content. However, the taste of beer changes over time, and it can become flat, or smell and taste skunky due to excessive exposure to light.

It's unlikely to be harmful to your health

Drinking beer past its "best before" date is unlikely to be harmful to your health. The fermentation process used in brewing, along with its low pH level and alcohol content, makes it challenging for harmful microorganisms to survive. While the beer may not taste as good as a fresh one, it is safe to consume.

Beer typically has a "best before" date, which is different from a "use by" date found on perishable foods like meat and dairy. "Best before" is a guideline for quality rather than safety, indicating when the beer will start to lose its optimal freshness and flavour. This timeframe varies depending on the type of beer and storage conditions. For example, a typical lager can be drinkable for 6-24 months after its best-before date if refrigerated, while darker beers like stouts and porters can improve with age when stored in cool, dark conditions.

However, it's important to note that the taste of beer can change over time. High-gravity beers, such as barley wines and imperial stouts, may develop richer flavours as they slowly oxidise. On the other hand, low-gravity beers can become stale and develop off-flavours more quickly.

While drinking beer past its "best before" date is generally safe, there are a few rare situations where it should be discarded. If the beer has lost its carbonation or has a vinegary taste, it indicates that the seal has been compromised or bacteria has contaminated it. In such cases, it's best to err on the side of caution and discard the beer.

To summarise, while drinking beer past its "best before" date is unlikely to harm your health, it may not provide the optimal flavour and freshness intended by the brewer.

It might taste bad

Drinking out-of-date beer will probably be an unpleasant experience, as the taste will have changed. The beer will be flat, and may smell and taste "skunky", like a skunk's spray. This is caused by excessive exposure to light, which affects hop compounds.

The protein structure that creates the body of the beer breaks down over time, and flavours fade. The beer will become oxidised, and may taste overly sweet, or like "wet cardboard".

The volatile aromas of hops will dissipate, so an India Pale Ale (IPA) that is three or four months old might not have the same hoppy aroma as a fresh beer.

However, some beers can improve with age. Richer and higher ABV varieties of beer, such as porters and stouts, can get better with age, especially if they are kept in cool, dark storage conditions.

It could be flat

Drinking out-of-date beer could result in a flat beverage. This is because, over time, the carbonation level decreases, causing the beer to lose its fizz. This is a sign that the seal has been broken at some point, and the flavour will be compromised. The beer will not taste like it should and will be flat.

The rate at which beer goes flat depends on the type of beer and how it is stored. For example, IPAs are best drunk within three to four months of bottling for optimum freshness. However, darker beers such as stouts and porters can be aged and will develop and integrate over time, becoming more flavourful and multidimensional.

If you want to avoid flat beer, it is recommended to drink it as fresh as possible, especially for hop-heavy styles like IPAs. Storing beer in the refrigerator will also help to maintain its carbonation.

While drinking out-of-date, flat beer is unlikely to harm your health, it will not taste the same as a fresh beer and may be disappointing.

It might smell skunky

Skunked beer is a chemical result of excessive exposure to light. When ultraviolet light comes into contact with certain hop compounds, it triggers a chemical reaction, resulting in a compound that smells almost identical to a skunk. This phenomenon is called "lightstruck".

The best way to avoid this is to keep beer out of sunlight and to look for certain packaging that keeps light out. Brown glass bottles do the best job of blocking UV light, while green and clear glass bottles provide little to no protection. Canned beer has an advantage here, as it does not allow light in.

Some beers lean into lightstruck flavours, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, if you want to avoid skunkiness in your beer, keep it cold, keep it in a dark place, and drink it fresh.

It may have lost its fizz

Drinking out-of-date beer will probably be safe, but it might have lost its fizz. This could be because the seal was broken at some point, meaning the beer will not taste as it should. If your beer is flat, it's probably a sign that it's past its best.

Beers have a "best before" date, rather than a "use by" date. This means that it's more of a guideline on quality, rather than safety. It's unlikely that drinking beer that's past its best before date will make you ill, but the beer will start to lose its quality over time.

The shelf life of beer varies depending on the type of beer and how it's stored. A typical lager will be drinkable for 6–24 months after its best before date if it's been kept in the fridge, and up to 9 months if it hasn't been refrigerated. However, IPAs are best drunk within 3–4 months of bottling, as their volatile aromas tend to dissipate over time.

If you're concerned about whether your beer has gone flat, check for a bad aroma, or a lack of the usual "pssst" sound and foaming when you open it. You can also look at the bottom of the bottle for excessive sediment, which could contribute to a poor taste.

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