Packaging Date Or Expiration Date. Which Do You Prefer For your Beer?

I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would prefer an expiration date to a packaging date. We're beer nerds. We know by when the beer should be consumed. The brewer knows this too, of course, but the brewer has a financial incentive to push the best-by date further than they ought.

 

Packaging date FTW!

 

Packaging date from my point of view, but that's mostly because I know what I'm looking at. I know how old of a beer I'm willing to purchase and I trust my own opinion. Especially compared to most craft brewers who can't afford super high-end QA/QC processes or to restock shelves super frequently.

If a larger place wants to have a "best by" date, I'm willing to accept that, though. I trust that a place with their own labs and high-tech bottling lines is going to know when their beer is going to be less than optimal. Hell, they probably know better than I do. Jim Bob's Corner Sudshaus? Not so much.

 

I'm with this guy ^^^^

 

This might be the first poll with 100% of the votes for one choice.

 

You said that out loud on purpose, didn't you?

 

I mean, if someone prefers expiration dates I have some imports I'd like to sell you.

 

I meant that someone was going to vote contrary just to spite you.

(and no, it won't be me )

BTW -- you need to drink your imports faster.

 

Maybe a sub-question to this poll is whether an expiration date is any better than no date. Maybe for beers that age well, but that's debatable too.

 

I'd still want a vintage date

 

Yes, when it comes to the majority of the BA community a packaged on date is preferred.

But for the vast majority of beer consumers (i.e., the non beer nerds) an expiration date is likely a preferred choice.

Cheers!

 

I should have added that I can't imagine how anyone who uses Beeradvocate would prefer a best-by date to a packaged on date.

 

I want to see a packaged-on date. I still like those with a best-by date along with the packaging date, this gives me an indication what the brewer considers an acceptable window for consumption.

 

I've often said it shouldn't matter as long as the labeling is worded similarly to one of these two methods.

PACKAGED ON XX/XX/XXXX
FOR FRESHEST TASTE, DRINK WITHIN 3 MONTHS

FOR THE FRESHEST BEER, DRINK BEFORE XX/XX/XXXX
- 3 MONTHS AFTER WE CANNED THIS BEER

 

4 months

 

But honey, I NEED to drink this beer! It expires tomorrow. Then I'd have to pour it out. You don't want me to waste money like that, do you?



I didn't vote contrary to everyone on purpose, because I couldn't see the results until I voted. You guys sure do seem to know more about how long beer keeps than I do, which is why I prefer expiration dates vs package dates.

 

I voted Packaging Date but a Best By date is not a deal breaker for me. I figure something is better than nothing. I'll only buy beer that has no date if it's a brewery I'm familiar with and trust. There are other small factors at play when deciding to pull the trigger, but those are the main points