February 11, 2013

Old Beer Doesn't Always Mean Bad Beer

Jon Chang, Popular Science


AP Photo

Beer producers make a big deal about drinking beer fresh. Stone Brewery produces an IPA with a drink-by date. Russian River Brewing Company implores their customers right on the bottle label to drink Pliny the Elder fresh. And most other beer producers print the brewing date on the can or bottle so the customer knows he or she isn’t getting old beer. While it’s true that many (and perhaps most) beers taste better when fresh, it’s a fallacy that old beer always equals bad beer. Some breweries specifically make beer that needs to be aged for ten years or longer before it tastes right.

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TAGGED: chemistry, Beer

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