IPA is a popular beer worldwide; whether you realize it or not, most of the beer you drink is IPA. Having been around for over 200 hundred years, this beer has become a trademark in every beer drinker cabinet. However, just like anything, beer is not meant to last forever.
It will eventually go bad or at least reach a point where drinking is not advisable. Beer, on average, can last for years if properly preserved, but with the different categories that make up beer, it is wise to understand how each beer category stacks up with this average.
IPA beer, on average, can last up to a year, but there is a caveat. While it may be OK for you to drink IPA beer after a year, the beer quality will decline after 120 days. The caveats go even further when you look into the different shelf life of IPA beers in bottles and cans. This sharply contrasts other beers but proves that beer generally has a particularly long shelf life.
Below we will discuss more IPAs and their expiration dates.
How long do IPAs last in a bottle?
On average, any beer will last the least time in a bottle, so when you look at the timeline of a beer lasting a year past its expiration date. Of course, this is assuming all of the proper procedures have been taken place, such as not opening it, keeping it at a cool temperature, and having cans would be desirable. However, if you have a bottle and do all the proper procedures, you can expect it to last a little less than a year, but it will not be a dramatic difference.
How long do IPAs last in cans?
Beer in cans is the best way to have and store a beer. IPA canned beers will last up to a year using proper preservation methods.
How long can an IPA last in the fridge?
Keeping beer cold is a method to preserve it as long as possible. At the same time, the beer’s taste will degrade even while in the fridge; the process will occur slower than if on a shelf but occur. So typically, the beer’s flavor will begin degrading after 120 days, but you could expect that to be delayed by a couple of months, but then when it comes to the point at which the taste has completed the change, that will be a little past a year as long as it remains in the fridge the entire time.
Taking a beer (or any item) out of the refrigerator will cause this timeline to diminish as it will allow the oxidation process to begin, and even a little oxygen will dramatically change the shelf-life of the beer. That is why it is advised that when you buy beer, buy it cold, so you know you still have the maximum amount of time.
Drinking IPAs after the expiration date
As mentioned in the intro, drinking IPAs after expiration is not dangerous. Drinking IPA beer after a year is not advisable, but it’s not dangerous. The only thing you must remain aware of is the taste of the beer will degrade with time.
However, this could benefit some as there is a niche among beer drinkers that like the taste of expired beer. It is like people who age wine; the wine tastes dramatically different ten years later, but for some, that is a desired taste. The same concept applies to beer. If you think that aged beer will taste appealing to you, then you may want to drink the beer after it expires, or you may even want to store it like beer.
IPA’s short shelf life
The hop in an IPA beer is the culprit for why these types of beer have a shorter shelf-life. Typically beers with hop allow for oxidation to take place more quickly. Beer exposure to oxygen is one of the main reasons beer expires quicker, so since oxidation naturally takes place quicker in beers with hop, their shelf-life is shorter than other beers. So always keep that in mind and keep the IPA beer in a cool environment because even without a hop, beer will still naturally take in oxygen when left outside in a warm climate. So since oxidation takes place quicker in IPA beers, keeping them preserved as long as possible becomes critical.
Is out-of-date IPA OK?
If you can handle the new taste the IPA beer will take on the closer it gets to its expiration date, then out-of-date IPA is OK. No medical harm will come your way from drinking out-of-date IPA beer. However, you should not buy beer already out-of-date, and as mentioned in the prior section, you should buy beer when it’s cold, not off the shelf.
How to tell if Ipa is bad
Once its taste has begun to degrade, IPA beer takes on a malty-caramel flavor. Once your beer has acquired this taste, then you know your beer is going bad. However, saying beer is bad is misleading as it does not become bad to drink; it simply takes on a different taste. But if you are looking for the taste of the IPA you have come to enjoy, you will want to drink it as quickly as possible.
I am a passionate beer connoisseur with a deep appreciation for the art and science of brewing. With years of experience tasting and evaluating various beers, I love to share my opinions and insights with others and I am always eager to engage in lively discussions about my favorite beverage.
