QUESTION
While closing up, I found some old beer at the back of the fridge I think has been there since May. Is it still okay to drink? What about beer that we leave over the winter? Is it still good to drink after it freezes?

ANSWER

Assuming your fridge was plugged in all summer, the back shelf where it's dark, cold, and still is an ideal place to store beer. So don't hesitate to crack those leftovers. In Canada, most beers are marked with a "best before" date of 90 days after production. That's because the majority are light pilsner styles, best drunk as fresh as possible, explains brewmaster Bill White of Labatt Breweries. But they won't go "off" on day 91. Kept cool and dark, they should taste fine for several more months. Heavier, darker European-style beers with a higher alcohol content last even longer. (The best can even improve with age, like good wines.)

It's a different story if you're storing your beer in the cottage pantry. Spoilage bacteria, which may be present but are normally kept in check by pasteurization and refrigeration, can proliferate when beer gets warm. Depending on the bacteria involved, you could get a mouthful of butterscotch, apple, or vinegar instead of the flavour you were after. Then there's oxidation from the air in the bottle or a loosened cap, which produces a taste like paper or cardboard.

None of these effects are harmful to your health, only to your drinking pleasure. The same is true for beer that has been frozen. There's a chance it will taste funny, and you might notice some little white flakes from proteins that have separated out. Let your taste buds be the judges, because they know best what you like.

* Published in the September/October 2004 issue of Cottage Life