The exact shelf life varies depending on beer styles, alcohol content, and storage conditions. Some wines are aged in casks or barrels for months or years to further intensify their taste.

Beer is undoubtedly one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world. Beer is meant to be enjoyed fresh. To make it less complicated, most standard beers keep well at 50 to 55 °F (10 to 12.8 °C). It should be noted that liqueurs — sweetened, distilled spirits with added flavors, such as fruit, spices, or herbs — will last up to 6 months after opening. It’s brewed from malted cereal grains (mostly barley) and flavored with hops. The notion that flavor is somehow adversely affected by the process is matter of opinion – and of some debate. You should use up the bottle within 1–3 days (10). It’s worth spending extra minutes checking the beer before pouring it.

So, prolonged exposure to these factors is certainly detrimental to your beer supply. Not to mention, if it’s poorly stored—such as being exposed to sunlight. You’re wondering if it’s safe to serve expired beers to your guests.

You should drink most wines within 3–7 days of opening for the best taste.

We believe the latter to be true. Despite its unrivaled popularity among other alcoholic beverages, there are a lot of misconceptions around beer⁠—does beer go bad? While beers in cans and keg are less affected by light, bottled beers are more susceptible to it.

Commercial brands, like Heineken, claim that their products stay fresh for at least 6 months. Storage also plays a role. Their base, also called mash, is fermented with yeast before being distilled. Once the manufacturer bottles the liquor, it stops aging. You can normally find the bottling date on the label. Now, take a good whiff. © 2020 Anchor Brewing, All rights reserved. Brewpubs often use the “unpasteurized is better” line as a marketing tool, but then their beer usually isn’t packaged or shipped either. While fine wines may improve with age, cheap wines should be consumed within 2 years of bottling.

Beer is best enjoyed fresh, right away after you crack it open. Recently, she started a consulting agency to facilitate the improvement of food safety, quality, and sustainability. Hops, or flowers of the hop plant, are added at the end of the process. Make sure to drink it in moderation — up to one drink daily for women and two for men (14, 15). Fortified wines have a distilled spirit, such as brandy, added. This article gives you the best…, Intermittent fasting may be the newest health trend, but you may wonder if it's advisable to drink alcohol while following this regimen. Flat beer typically tastes off and may upset your stomach, whereas spoiled wine usually tastes vinegary or nutty but isn’t harmful. It is safe to assume that any brewery that becomes large enough to ship out-of-state will likely pasteurize their products regardless of any previous position that they may have taken on the subject. Liquor is considered the most shelf-stable, while many factors determine how long beer and wine last. This article…, What you eat before drinking alcohol can have a huge impact on how you feel at the end of the night — and the next morning. It is not possible to do this with kegs, however, because of the volume of liquid would take much, much longer to heat and cool. Generally speaking, when beer tastes like wet cardboard, cabbage, sewage, or horribly sour, that’s a clear sign that the beer is no longer fresh. Sparkling wines have the shortest lifespan and should be consumed within hours of opening for peak carbonation. This category includes gin, vodka, whiskey, tequila, and rum. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Most commercial beers are usually pasteurized. Ask Bob a Question Beer slowly ages with time, affecting its flavor and taste. After opening, it should be consumed within 6–8 months for peak taste, according to industry experts (3). This is essentially a pipe within a pipe with heated water or steam flowing one way and the beer flowing the other. Can You Drink Alcohol on a Low-Carb Diet?

Unpasteurized beers have a shorter lifespan and should be enjoyed within 3 months after production. Once opened, wine is exposed to oxygen, expediting the aging process.