When does beer go bad?!
Answers: Ok, I've had some bottled beer that I got as a Christmas gift and totally forgot about. Its in a dark bottle, and has never been refrigerated. Now, it is beer from Cooperstown, and baseball season just started, so it would seem like a perfect time. But, is it still any good? I'm not one to waste beer, so I'll probably drink it anyway. Just wanted a heads-up. :)
First off, it's from Cooperstown, which means it's something from Brewery Ommegang, a brewer of all-traditional Belgian-style ales. Ironic, since I was out there just 2 weeks ago!
Some beers are meant to be aged, many benefit from aging.
Mass-produced industrial lagers (MillerBudCoors, Molson, Heineken, Stella, etc.) will go flat and oxidized within a year or less.
Belgian beers, like those produced in Cooperstown, are some of the best beers to age. At the brewery, you can buy bottles of Three Philosophers (Belgian Quad cut with a Kriek Lambic) that was aged in CAVES for 3 years!
Long story short, the beer you are holding is good still, and will probably remain in drinkable condition for many many years.
As far as storage for good beers, you don't want to store them too cold. Cellar temp is the best, like in a cool, dark corner of your basement. 58 deg. F is ideal.
Cheers! and enjoy your beer!
btw - which one is it?
There's only one way to find out...drink it.
The beer won't be bad...it just won't taste as fresh or good as it should. Refrigerated beer can last 8-12 weeks, for optimum freshness. Unrefrigerated generally lasts 4-6. It also depends on how the people that bought the beer for you kept it, and how the liquor store kept it...
Refrigerate your beer and it will last a long time. It won't really go "bad" per se, but it will lose subtle nuances and pleasantries of quality fresh beer.
I believe that you should never leave beer warm. You should do a taste test. Go to a liquor store which has a small inventory and cold storage, and buy some of your favorite beer. Buy that same beer at Safeway or Costco, which does not refrigerate their inventory. You will notice that the fresher, chilled stuff tastes a lot better.
Keep it cold and you'll be alright. If it's been sitting for a year in the attic, throw it out.
Beer doesn't go bad except for when you have it cold, let it get warm, and then get it cold again.
I had beer from my wedding for about 13 months in the fridge and everyone said it would be bad. I served it for New Year's and all the people that said it would be bad, couldn't even tell.