FIVE BEER MYTHS BUSTED

BEER is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and as such, there are many myths about the best ways to store, age, refrigerate and drink it. Here are five common myths – busted –  to set the record straight.

MYTH Re-cooling makes beer stale.
FALSE Beer experiences substantial fluctuations in temperature during shipping.  Changes are only harmful if the beer is in extreme heat.

MYTH Sunlight “skunks” beer.
TRUE Sunlight is beer’s enemy; even exposing beer to indirect sunlight for long periods will cause it to “skunk”.

MYTH Bottle color affects shelf life.
TRUE and FALSE It’s UV light not color that affects shelf life.  Clear and green bottles allow in more bad light than brown.

MYTH Beer must be shipped, stored and aged cold.
FALSE While there are even some beers – mainly unpasteurized, bottle-conditioned craft beer – that can be aged in cellars, just like wine, cooler temps are ideal, anywhere in the 4O to 7O degree range is fine for shipping and storing.

MYTH Putting beer in the freezer is an easy way to “quick chill” it.
TRUE You can do this, but don’t freeze beer, because the bottle will explode when frozen.  Leaving it in for a few minutes should be fine but may alter the taste a little.