We have lots of Blonde beer which expired last year and some expired May this year.
Is it still safe to drink?
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what blond beer are we talking about?– Jamie EltringhamAug 2, 2018 at 7:26
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Well, safe is it. But tasty? It may have become sour.– Altbier is not Old BeerAug 2, 2018 at 14:06
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This guy drinks 30 year old Coors and lived to tell about it. youtube.com/watch?v=OaxW157Lw7k– farmersteveFeb 27, 2019 at 18:10
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"Is it still safe to drink?" No, you should send it all to me for safe disposal.– Alaska ManApr 16, 2020 at 22:32
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6 Answers
Most likely - Yes, it is safe to drink it.
Your beer is almost guaranteed to be safe to drink for humans. No pathogens like alcoholic beverages. If you have bacteria in your beer, you will just have another style of beer (see Sour Beer).
Your beer could taste bad, but 1 year over expiration date is usually nothing serious. A lot depends on the type of beer + alcohol percentage + earlier exposure to oxygen + present bacteria in the beer.
When I brew Blondes, wheat beer or beers with belgian yeast, I'd rather have them condition in the bottle for several months before I drink them. Maybe your beer has become even better and more conditioned.
Good luck tasting!
From experience the only way you will be able to know it to crack one open and give it a try you they will be safe to drink.
Of course if you try them and it tastes funny (e.g sour/bitter) or is not what expected in terms of carbonation (don't know what blond beer you are talking about to say) then just pour away there is no harm in giving it a try
Overall the only way to see if it is ok is to pour one and give it a taste
answered Aug 2, 2018 at 7:26
Yes it's safe to drink. There is nothing in there that wasn't in there already. If it was stored properly it should show some signs of aging which can be a good thing if you are into that. The oldest beer I ever drank was a 9 year old doppelbock and it was still pretty darn good. I have had beers turn to malt vinegar after a few years. Just open it and taste it!
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1Some beers don’t age well. IPAs in particular are best fresh. Even a month or two old they’ll be less tasty.– Eric SFeb 26, 2019 at 23:28
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The question is "was it safe to drink?" and the answer is always yes. Does it taste good is another question. Feb 27, 2019 at 14:52
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3I understand that. Your answer suggests that most beers are improved with aging. Unlike red wine, most beers are better fresh. Safe either way.– Eric SFeb 27, 2019 at 15:06
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There is nothing in my answer that suggests that your common beer isn't going to be safe to drink, which is what the question was. I just suggested that a doppelbock tasted good after 9 years. Nothing about an IPA. Yet this guy drinks a 30 year old Coors and it wasn't half bad youtube.com/watch?v=OaxW157Lw7k&feature=youtu.be Feb 27, 2019 at 18:09
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In no way did I challenge your opinion that the beer is safe. I just think it would be a better answer if you were more balanced about the effects of age on taste. Hoppy beers do not get better with age and are better fresh.– Eric SFeb 27, 2019 at 19:48
I just opened a Pelforth Blonde found lurking in the back of my fridge. Best Before Date February 2020. It looks a little darker than I remember. I'm not a beer drinker; it was some my late husband must have put in there. As usually drink cold blonde beer with grenadine (something a hotel owner in France introduced to me to as a long drink) and it tastes fine and refreshing, but I’m no beer expert.
Dark beers often age better than Lighter beers, and since the beer past its BBD is a Blond beer the taste could be affected. To preserve beer it is essential to shield it from its 3 enemies:
- Oxygen: bottlecaps are NOT airtight oxygen can get in and ruin your beer.
- Light: Keep your beer in the dark, light can make it taste like cardboard.
- Temperature: Keep your beer no warmer than 15 degrees Celsius. Higher temperatures can affect the taste.
This is why I only buy dark beers in a can (no light can get into a can) when they are close to the BBD, and then keep them cold.
But even if you kept your blond beers in a bright and warm environment they are still safe to drink.
My brother stayed at a hotel while his house was being built and he moved to town a year or so before it was finished. He would buy Bud Light and drink what he could while it was cold and just put the unoppened bottles in the corner of his room. I came over and moved all the beer after like 8 months and I had like 20 12/18 packs of Bud Light. These were cold origionally but then sat in a room that was at 65 degrees (he ran air all the time) and it was dark in there - pretty much used it to sleep in and kept busy at my house or at friends when he wasn't there. A 3rd was expiring in the same month I was drinking it - tasted like the beer he would buy from store with an expiration date 2 months from when he bought it. Then I got to August (it was October) - tasted the same. Then June - tasted fine - had carbination - didn't notice. Then April - I was amazed when I had a December 2019 expiration beer followed by the April one, and they tasted the same. Then March, tasted fine. January I havn't gotten to yet. The only beer I noticed a difference from was from cans - he had two 24 packs with feb expiration dates. It tased funny but drinkable - had kinda a flat sweeter taste - I give those to friends when they drink all their beers (some when they stop by for a moment - just to test the beers) - I don't tell them and they drink it like it was any other beer (makes me think the Feb cans is a placibo effect for me). Just thought I would share.
