Bottled date should be mandatory

Agreed...and if the taste is off, the consumer should be able to take it back to the store for a replacement.

 

Ironically, I've purchased outdated beer at my neighborhood store twice within the past 15 months...I now check the bottles. I went there last night and almost got outdated product again...he assured me that both he, the manager, and the distributors try to check for it. He gave me a refund the one time that I bought an absolutely out of date product that was awful...still, there needs to be more done to reduce this from happening.

 

I disagree...it is a food product and does expire, at least in terms of being enjoyable (and some might even make you sick). Not critical, but hardly a burden on companies and worthy to protect the industry.

 

Deserves to be quoted over and over.

 

This is what I always think, if I was a brewer would I want someone trying my beer for the first time to get an old one, spit it out and never try it again.

Also, many on here blame the consumer for getting old beer, but newbies to craft don't neccesarily know that some beers need to be consumed fresh, those old beers shouldn't even be on the shelf to begin with.

 

I understand it costs money but it's worth it in the long run for the reasons suggested by the OP. No more excuses!

 

Such date coding has been common for decades, and, of course, many breweries still use it. Most are pretty easy to figure out (I've been doing it for decades) and are usually some form of Julian/day of the year dating, which is pretty traditional in lots of industries. (It's particularly helpful in international business, where using 06/12 might mean June 12th in the US and December 6th in Europe).

But, as frequently noted in these threads, many BA's don't find it at all helpful or acceptable and get quite angry over Julian dates (where one has to do a little math) or Anchor's coding - which is obviously mechanical rather than computerized.

 

Does anyone have any data on bottle dating having an effect on the industry, or any particularly brewery, at all? There seem to be plenty of growing, successful breweries who don't date (Rogue), who do (Dogfish Head), and who sort of don't (Sierra Nevada*).

*Their code is basically meaningless if you haven't been told how to read it.

 

Next you will want the Calories on the bottle. Just buy what you are comfortable with. My shop told me if I ever get a bad beer just bring it back and they will gladly exchange it for me. My grocery store lets me bring back anything that is bad and refunds me, so I really don't see what all the fuss is about.

 

He, Fritz Maytag, and Ken Grossman basically started the craft brew revolution in this country at a time when you were sucking on a baby bottle, or perhaps not even born. Sorry to have to put it this way to show the absolutely ridiculous nature of your post, but it seemed the best way to make the point.

 

Beer is not a food product when it comes to government rules and regulation. Unless you are allergic to an ingredient, there is nothing in beer that is going to make you sick. There is no doubt that beer will become less enjoyable if it's too old but it is not going to spoil like milk, meat or bread.

There are a number of very good reasons why bottle dating should be done but there is not a reason it needs to be mandated.

 

Haha I love it when people prove the opposing opinion with a post.

Protip #317- more govt. regulations = less industry jobs.

 

I'd almost believe that except that less regulations on the financial industry seemed to = less jobs. But I'm not here to debate regulations.

 

What exactly is not craft about Sam Adams? Is Sierra Nevada not craft to you as well then? Laughable. Jim Koch plays a huge part in the growth of the craft business, someone from VA shouldn't act so elitist.

 

Actually deregulating the securities industry led to a giant increase in number of jobs in the securities industry, but lets not compare apples to apples.

 

I try only to consume from non-dating bottlers by direct purchasing at the brewpub. Enjoy a glass or two and carry-out their limit/your limit, to enjoy again. Thank you Three Floyds.

 

Surprisingly enough, this is false. With the exception of infant formula, the FDA doesnt require food products to be labeled with a sell by, best by, or any other form of expiration date.

http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/Transparency/Basics/ucm210073.htm

 

Exactly this. If I'm in a store I always look for a date. If there isn't one and I'm wary I just won't buy it.

 

what did people do before bottle dating?

 

Kind of a stretch to say that if someone gets a bad bottle of beer, that would affect millions of jobs.

OTOH, one might suggest that more regulations = more cost to the brewery = less money to invest in the brewery = less jobs.