Expiration dates for beer

If the beer has been refrigerated the whole time, is it still good even if it's past the expiration date on the can? I was under the impression that the date only applied to beer that has been sitting at room temperature.

 

Depends on if you're looking at a "born-on" date or a "freshness date," but light beers are usually good for four months after being brewed. The more hops and alcohol in a beer, the longer it's good for. Sam Adams might be good for five months and something like a doublebock would be good for like six months.

The only way to be sure? Drink it. If you don't throw up, you're good.

 

Wouldn't know. Never have been faced with a situation where I had beer past an expiration date. ;D

 

That was going to be my point. Who has beer longer than two days?

 

At my first gig, shared an apartment with a couple of co-workers. Our place quickly became the hangout, and it was strictly BYOB. More often than not, any extra beer remained in the fridge.
We almost always had a fresh supply of beer in the fridge, and played host to a few parties where it was strictly leftovers.
That is the only acceptable reason - you are the party house.

 

I have found out the hard way. Terrible, terrible experience.

 

If the bottom of the can is bulging outward, do not drink it (at least until all the other beer is gone).

 

By "good" do you mean will it still taste good or do you mean will it kill you?

If it's a lite American beer, it doesn't matter when the expiration date is, really.

 

*raises hand*

I'm just not a big drinker ... and I don't entertain much ... but I tend to buy six-packs (of bottles) when I buy beer. Usually takes me a month to six weeks to finish one.

 

Yeah, because it's gonna suck before or after that date.

 

A word of warning: if you ask Bobcat to fetch you a beer, you could end up with something like this:

 

Deployed to an island once -- about four months in without a beer -- I finally got my hands on my first beer. It was a Budweiser. The "Born On Date" had passed 14 months earlier. I drank it hurriedly.