How Long Does Beer Last?
Unopened beer keeps its quality for 6–8 months in the fridge or 4–6 months in the pantry. Once opened, it goes flat within about 1 day. Expired beer is safe to drink but may taste stale.
Beer — unopened
shelf life- Opened: 1 day in the fridge
- Unopened, growler: 1–2 weeks in the fridge
Fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below · freezer at 0°F (−18°C). Freezer times are for best quality; frozen food stays safe longer.
Beer is a fermented, hopped grain beverage, usually 4–7% alcohol. Alcohol, hops, acidity and carbonation together keep harmful bacteria from growing in it, so old beer is a disappointment rather than a danger. Its flavor is fragile: oxygen makes it taste like wet cardboard, light makes it skunky, and heat accelerates both.
How to store beer
- Keep beer cold if it was bought cold. Storage temperature is the biggest factor in how fast beer stales, and unpasteurized craft beer in particular is meant to stay refrigerated.
- Store bottles and cans upright, which keeps the yeast sediment at the bottom and limits the surface exposed to the air in the neck.
- Keep bottles in the dark or in their closed carton. Light reacts with hop compounds to produce a skunky smell, and green and clear glass offer little protection.
- Check the canned-on or best-by date when you buy, especially for IPAs and pale ales, and drink those first.
How to tell if beer has gone bad
- A skunky smell as soon as it is opened means the beer is light-struck.
- A papery, wet-cardboard or sherry-like flavor from oxidation in old or warm-stored beer.
- No hiss on opening and no head when poured, which points to a failed seal.
- An unexpectedly sour or vinegary taste, or a gushing bottle, suggests contamination with wild yeast or bacteria; it is unpleasant rather than hazardous.
Bacteria that cause food poisoning usually do not change the look, smell or taste of food. Go by the time limits first, and the signs above second.
Beer shelf life chart
| State | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unopened | 6–8 months | Not recommended | 4–6 months |
| Hop-forward beers such as IPAs fade fastest and are best within about 3 months of canning. | |||
| Opened | 1 day | Not recommended | Not recommended |
| It loses carbonation and oxidizes. Flat leftover beer is still fine for batter, chili or braising. | |||
| Unopened, growler | 1–2 weeks | Not recommended | Not recommended |
| Draft beer filled at a taproom. Once the growler is opened, finish it within 1–2 days. | |||
Not safe = perishable: no more than 2 hours at room temperature (1 hour above 90°F / 32°C). Not recommended = possible, but quality suffers or it serves no purpose.
Frequently asked questions
Can you drink beer past its expiration date?
Yes, it is safe. The date on beer is a freshness guide, and no harmful bacteria grow in a properly sealed beer. What you will notice is flavor loss: faded hops, less carbonation and a stale, papery taste, especially if it was stored warm. Strong, dark and bottle-conditioned beers hold up far better than light lagers and IPAs.
Does beer go bad if it gets warm and is then chilled again?
No, a single cycle of warming and re-chilling does not ruin beer or make it skunky; that is a myth. What matters is the total time spent warm, because heat speeds up staling. Beer that sat for months in a hot garage will taste older than beer kept cold the entire time.
How long does an opened beer last?
About a day in the fridge before it is flat and dull, even with the cap pressed back on. There is no safety concern in drinking it later if it stayed refrigerated, but most people will not enjoy it. Use flat beer in cooking, for example in bread, batter, stews or for steaming sausages.
What happens if beer freezes?
Freezing forces the carbon dioxide out of solution and the expanding ice can push off the cap, split the can or shatter the bottle. If the container survived intact, thaw it slowly in the fridge; the beer is safe but usually flat and sometimes hazy. Never try to speed-chill beer in the freezer without a timer.
Related foods
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wine Opened |
3–5 days | 3 months | 1–3 days |
| Liquor (Spirits) Opened |
1–2 years | Not recommended | 1–2 years |
| Soda Unopened |
6–9 months | Not recommended | 6–9 months |
| Champagne & Sparkling Wine Opened |
1–3 days | Not recommended | Not recommended |
| Kombucha Opened |
1 week | Not recommended | Not recommended |
| Bratwurst Raw |
1–2 days | 1–2 months | Not safe |
More alcohol: Irish Cream Liqueur.
Reviewed 2026-09-20. Times follow published USDA FoodKeeper / FSIS, FDA and CDC storage guidance; where sources differ we use the shorter time. How we compile this data.