Guide
How to store and serve beer: freshness, temperature and glassware
How to keep beer fresh and serve it well: why light, heat and time are the enemies, storing cans and bottles, which beers are best fresh and which can age, serving temperature by style, choosing and cleaning glassware, and pouring a good head.
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To keep beer fresh, protect it from its three enemies: light, heat and time. Store beer cold (ideally in the fridge), dark and upright, and drink hoppy beers such as IPAs and pale ales as fresh as possible. Serve light lagers cold, and let ales, stouts and stronger beers warm slightly so their flavours show. Pour into a clean glass with a good head.
This guide explains each step. It is part of our Australian beer guide.
The enemies of beer
Light
Light, especially sunlight, reacts with compounds from hops and creates the "skunky" flavour known as light-struck. Cans block light completely. Brown bottles protect better than green or clear bottles.
Heat
Warm storage speeds up staling. Beer left in a hot car or shed in an Australian summer can lose freshness quickly, and temperature swings make it worse.
Time
Most beer is best fresh. Hop aroma fades first, which is why fresh IPAs and pale ales taste brighter. Look for a "packaged on" or "best before" date on the can or bottle.
How to store beer at home
- Keep it cold. The fridge is ideal, especially for hoppy beers.
- Keep it dark. Leave beer in its carton or a dark cupboard if it cannot go in the fridge.
- Keep it stable. Avoid repeated warming and chilling.
- Store bottles upright so sediment settles and less beer contacts the cap.
- Buy in quantities you will drink while fresh.
Fresh versus cellared beers
| Beer type | Best approach |
|---|---|
| IPA, pale ale, hazy styles | Drink as fresh as possible |
| Lager and pilsner | Drink fresh |
| Wheat beer | Drink fresh |
| Imperial stout, barley wine, some strong Belgian-style ales | Some can develop interesting flavours with careful cellaring |
| Bottle-conditioned beers | Often improve for a while; check the brewery's advice. See bottle conditioning |
If you want to cellar beer, store it cool, dark and stable, and taste regularly.
Serving temperature
Serving every beer ice cold suppresses aroma and flavour. A general guide:
- Coldest: light lagers, pilsners and mid-strength beers
- Cold: wheat beers, pale ales, IPAs and sours
- Cool: amber ales, stouts and porters
- Slightly warmer: strong ales, imperial stouts and barley wines
Take stronger and darker beers out of the fridge a little before serving. In hot weather, smaller glasses help beer stay cold. See our glass sizes guide.
Glassware
You do not need special glasses for every style, but a few principles help:
- Clean glasses matter most. Residue from detergent or grease kills the head and creates bubbles clinging to the glass.
- Rinse with water after washing to remove detergent, and air dry.
- Tulip or stemmed glasses concentrate aroma for IPAs, sours and strong ales.
- Tall, straight glasses show off lagers and pilsners.
- Wheat beer glasses are tall and curvy to hold the large head.
- Avoid frozen glasses, which can dilute beer and dull flavour.
How to pour
- Hold the glass at about 45 degrees.
- Pour down the side until the glass is about half full.
- Straighten the glass and pour into the centre to build a head.
- Aim for a good head of foam, which releases aroma.
- For bottle-conditioned beers, leave the sediment in the bottle unless the style is meant to be served with it, such as some wheat beers.
Cans, bottles and kegs
Cans protect beer from light and are lighter to transport. Bottles are traditional, especially for bottle-conditioned beers. Some taprooms fill growlers or crowlers to take home; drink them within a few days, as they are not as well sealed as packaged beer. Our article on bottle shop versus taproom explains the trade-offs.
Common faults and what they mean
- Skunky or catty aromas: usually light damage; see light-struck.
- Cardboard or papery flavours: a sign of oxidation, often from age or warm storage.
- Buttery or butterscotch notes: may be diacetyl, which is a fault in most styles.
- Flat beer with no head: often a dirty glass, or an old or poorly sealed container.
- Green apple notes: may be acetaldehyde, from young or under-fermented beer.
If a packaged beer from a shop tastes faulty, check the date and contact the retailer or brewery.
Responsible serving
When hosting, serve smaller pours, offer water and non-alcoholic drinks, and count your standard drinks. Never serve alcohol to anyone under 18.
Where to go next
Frequently asked questions
Should beer be stored in the fridge?
Ideally, yes, especially hoppy beers such as IPAs and pale ales, which lose aroma quickly when warm. At minimum, store beer somewhere cool, dark and stable.
Does beer go off?
Beer does not usually become unsafe, but it loses freshness. Hoppy beers fade within months; some strong, dark beers can develop over time. Check the 'best before' or 'packaged on' date.
Why does beer taste 'skunky'?
That flavour is called light-struck. It happens when light, especially sunlight, reacts with hop compounds. Cans and brown bottles protect beer better than clear or green glass.
Should beer be served ice cold?
Light lagers are refreshing very cold, but serving every beer ice cold dulls flavour. Ales, stouts and stronger beers show more character a little warmer.
Should I store bottles upright?
Generally, yes. Storing bottles upright reduces the surface area exposed to air and lets any sediment settle at the bottom.