Almost everything has an expiration date: even beer seems to spoil. But can you really no longer open it after that date, or is it still perfectly drinkable?
Imagine: your friends suddenly show up on your doorstep to have a nice drink. But the only beer you have left in your house is already expired. What do you do then: do you offer it anyway? And is that actually possible, or are you poisoning your friends?
Beer
To answer the question, we first need to know how beer is made. Beer is created by the fermentation of malt under the influence of different types of yeasts. The sugars in the malt are converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The same carbon dioxide that causes bubbles in your golden yellow rascal. Thanks to the alcohol and carbon dioxide, bacteria do not find it an attractive place to settle. As long as you keep the bottle closed, the beer will not spoil, regardless of the expiration date.
Wine
The fact that beer has an unlimited shelf life also applies to wine. The oldest surviving bottle of wine in the world was probably brewed sometime between 325 and 359 AD. Despite its age, researchers are still convinced that this wine is safe to drink. They just don’t try because once the cork is off the wine is ruined. But wine basically lasts forever, unless air gets into it. Just like beer, you will have to keep the bottle of wine closed.
Expiration date?
Like many other food products, you can store wine and beer long after the expiration date. It won’t make you sick, but the question is whether you can really enjoy it. Maybe that glass of red wine or that pilsner doesn’t taste as good when you know it’s expired. The main reason there is an expiration date on the bottle at all is because the brewer estimates that the drink will taste best before that date. Some beers, such as IPAs, are very sensitive to taste changes. Such a fruity beer can make the taste more sour if it is in a translucent bottle. That’s why these sensitive beers are often sold in cans: no light gets through, and it tastes much better for much longer.
So you can offer your friends an expired beer or glass of wine without any worries, you won’t poison them. If you really can’t handle it anymore, just give them a glass of water. It’s about being together, right?
