To ensure that you always get the most bang for your beer buck, keep these tips in mind when buying beer. Remember that freshness in beer is as important as freshness in bread.

  • Don’t buy bottled beer that’s coated in a layer of dust and/or has any flakes, chunks, or floaters in it.

  • Always consume beer from growlers before it goes flat — usually in the first 24 to 36 hours.

  • Look for freshness dates and buy only beer that isn’t past the freshness date.

  • If you have the choice, buy beer that’s refrigerated rather than beer that’s sitting on a shelf.

  • Don’t buy beer that is or has been sitting in the sun.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book authors:

Marty Nachel is a beer educator, an award-winning homebrewer, a BJCP Certified Beer Judge, on the panel of professional beer judges at the Great American Beer Festival, and a former beer evaluator at the Beverage Testing Institute. He is also the founder and administrator of the Ale-Conner Beer Certification Program.

Steve Ettlinger is the author of seven books, most of which are about food and food-related subjects. His most recent is Twinkie, Deconstructed.

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