How to Date Old Ball Mason Jars (with Pictures) - wikiHow
Neil Fisher Jun 27, - 6 min read. While the rapid growth of craft beer has created a dynamic and constantly evolving marketplace with beers rotating faster than ever on store shelves, in some retail shops, beers still have a tendency to sit on shelves past their prime. To help ensure a consistent experience for all consumers within their distribution footprint, some breweries use date codes. But, because there are no standards or requirements for indicating beer age, each brewery employs its own method for dating its beers. One of the most difficult tasks in checking beer freshness is locating the date code. First, check the label.
Sometimes the older alcohol gets, the better it tastes. But not all alcohol defies time like that. There are obviously multitudes of types of alcohol , and they all have their own lifespans to be aware of. Opened alcohol can expire and go bad.
It's not such a bad thing, though, mainly because my mania is centered on IPAs. On the contrary, I crave more IPAs than ever, gusting with fragrances of tropical fruit and smoother than a jar of Skippy. The ascent of IPAs has put a premium on previously utilitarian date codes. Date codes doubled as unspoken communication between brewery and distributor, signals for when ancient beer should be snatched from shelves.