_Packaging dates _indicate when the beer was bottled or canned and can be identified by the terms “bottled on,” “canned on,” “packaged on,” or “filled on.” Packaging codes that are more discretely stamped without those identifiers can be somewhat difficult to read because they often take the form of Julian dates (a number between 001 and 366) embedded in a longer date code. The two most common types of date codes are packaging dates and shelf-life dates.
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Often, deciphering the date code can prove more difficult than locating it. You can increase your odds by purchasing from stores that you know make an effort to stock fresh beer and stores that go through product reasonably fast.
If you’re still unable to find any freshness information after checking the label, bottle/can, carrier, and case carton, it is likely that there is no date code, so you’ll have to take your chances and hope that you are purchasing fresh beer.
Some breweries elect to print their date codes on the four-pack or six-pack carriers or on the case carton. If you can’t find a code printed on the label or anywhere else on the bottle/can, the last resort is to check the carrier or case packaging. On cans, most date codes are printed on the bottom-and in the case of Oskar Blues, there’s even a special phrase or witty message. These codes are easiest to identify when they are printed in yellow or white ink on the bottle, but black or dark ink is not uncommon, so hold the bottle up to a light source to help you find the code.įind more practical advice to help you drink better beer and make better beer in every issue of Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine®. For bottles, date codes are often printed on the neck or shoulder (the section just above the label). If you can’t find the code on the label, check the bottle or can. Breweries such as Sierra Nevada, Great Divide, and Odell clearly print the date code on a specific section of the label, which is often the same for all product lines. One of the most difficult tasks in checking beer freshness is locating the date code. (Regrettably, a large number of breweries don’t offer any date stamps whatsoever, leaving you in the dark about the freshness of their products.) Finding the Date Code But, because there are no standards or requirements for indicating beer age, each brewery employs its own method for dating its beers. To help ensure a consistent experience for all consumers within their distribution footprint, some breweries use date codes. Freshness should be forefront in the mind of any craft-beer consumer buying hops-forward beers, since that’s the way the brewer intends for you to taste it.
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.
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