Why You Really Shouldn't Store Your Beer In A Warm Place

Most beer lovers would agree that beer is at its best when it's fresh out of the refrigerator or cooler at an ice-cold temperature. Conversely, while room-temperature beer is not ideal, it's still passable and, to some, quite enjoyable. However, outside of unique circumstances, once a beer starts to become actively warm or hot, its taste begins to drop off significantly; oftentimes leading it to the point of being nearly undrinkable. Unfortunately, that's not just a matter of personal preference.

When storing beer, one of the most important things to keep track of is the temperature it's being kept at, as the drink's quality actively begins to diminish when kept in a warm environment for an extended period of time. This was one of the lessons we learned from LJ Whirley, certified cicerone and associate director of culinary arts at Newfields in Indianapolis, who gave us insight into the best ways to store beer to keep it from going bad. Beyond just temperature, Whirley warns that the physical conditions it's exposed to (like light exposure and time) can also impact the quality of your beer.

Whirley's advice when it comes to storing beer largely pertained to temperature. While the idea that changing a beer's temperature more than once makes it worse is generally believed to be a myth, Whirley does warn that you should never allow your beer to get actively hot when storing it.

"Don't let the beer get hot," Whirley advised, "I'm talking leaving a couple of six-packs in your trunk on a hot summer day hot –- it really could damage the beer and cause it to lose its freshness and desired flavor. You probably won't get sick, but it won't taste good."

To ensure your beer never gets warmer than it should, Whirley said the fridge is the best place to store it. If the refrigerator isn't an option, "It is also okay to store it in a dark cool-ish place, like the basement or back of the food pantry."

Beyond its temperature, exposure to light (especially from the sun) is another thing to avoid when storing beer. Whirley noted that light exposure can be particularly detrimental to green beer bottles specifically, but it's best to keep beer out of the light regardless of the container it comes in.

"Try to keep it out of the light if at all possible... I usually avoid buying beer at the store that is sitting in a window-front or under glaring fluorescent lights," Whirley said. "Clear or green bottled beers... that are exposed to sunlight cause components of the beer to breakdown and give that 'skunked' smell."

As for how long beer lasts when properly stored, it depends on its conditions. If kept inside a refrigerator, an unopened can or bottle of beer can go several years without going bad. Alternatively, a beer kept at room temperature will last anywhere between five and nine months if it remains unopened. However, let it be known that the length of time beer can be stored decreases massively once the bottle or can is open, even if it's put in the refrigerator.