How long does beer last in the fridge?

Unopened cans and bottles

Most commercial beer is filtered or pasteurised and sealed, so it keeps well unopened. Brewers print a best-before date, not a use-by date: after it, beer is usually still safe but may taste flat, dull or stale. Kept cold, beer holds its flavour closer to that date and often beyond.

Beer stored warm, or moved between warm and cold many times, loses fresh flavour faster. A steady cool or cold temperature is best.

Why hoppy beers fade fastest

The fruity, citrus and pine aromas in hoppy beers come from delicate compounds that break down over time, faster when warm. That is why many craft brewers suggest keeping IPAs cold and drinking them fresh, often within a few months of canning.

Darker and stronger beers rely more on malt flavours that change more slowly. Some strong beers are even aged deliberately, though that is a specialist hobby.

Light and bottles

Light can react with hop compounds and create an unpleasant skunky smell, especially in clear and green bottles. Cans and brown bottles block light. In a glass-door drinks fridge, switch the interior light off when not needed and keep the fridge out of direct sun.

Store bottles upright so the yeast or sediment settles at the bottom and less beer touches the cap.

Signs beer is past its best

Old or badly stored beer usually tells you. Common signs are a flat, papery or cardboard-like taste, a dull aroma where a fresh hoppy beer should smell bright, a sherry-like note in pale beers, or a skunky smell from light exposure. Beer that has lost its fizz entirely, has a swollen can or a leaking cap should be thrown away.

None of these are usually a safety issue in sealed commercial beer, but they are a sign the beer will not taste as the brewer intended. If a beer looks cloudy when it should be clear, check whether it is bottle-conditioned or unfiltered, as some styles are meant to be hazy. When in doubt, pour a little into a glass and smell it before drinking.

Beer and wine in one fridge

Many people keep beer and wine in the same drinks fridge. That works, but most wine is happier a little warmer than lager, and wine stored for months prefers steady conditions and darkness. If you only keep a few bottles of wine for drinking soon, a shared fridge is fine.

If you keep more wine, a separate wine cooler or a dual-zone wine and drinks fridge suits both. See wine fridge vs drinks fridge for the differences, and our best wine fridges guide for wine storage options.

Opened beer

Once opened, beer starts to lose carbonation and aroma straight away. A resealed bottle in the fridge may still be drinkable the next day, but it will be flatter. For best taste, open what you will drink.

Beer from a home draught system has its own timeline set by the system and supplier; see kegerator vs beer fridge.

Does beer need to stay in the fridge?

Unopened beer does not have to be refrigerated to be safe, and taking it out of the fridge and later chilling it again is fine. The old idea that re-warming chilled beer skunks it is a myth; heat and light over time are what age beer. Still, keeping it steadily cold is best for flavour.

For party stock, see how to keep drinks cold without a fridge and how long it takes to chill beer.

Setting up a beer fridge

Most beers taste good somewhere between a few degrees above freezing and cellar temperature, depending on style. Lagers are often served colder, ales a little warmer. Our beer fridge temperature guide gives common settings.

A glass-door drinks fridge keeps cans visible and organised; see how to organise a drinks fridge. Our beer and drinks fridge guide compares models by capacity and lowest temperature.

Compare beer and drinks fridges →

Frequently asked questions

Does beer go bad in the fridge? It does not usually become unsafe, but it slowly loses fresh flavour, faster for hoppy beers.

Can I drink beer past its best-before date? Usually yes, though it may taste flat or stale. Check it looks and smells normal.

Is it bad to chill beer, let it warm, then chill again? No. Time, heat and light age beer, not one or two temperature changes.

Should beer be stored upright? Yes, especially bottle-conditioned beer, so sediment settles at the bottom.