Never Buy A Case Of Beer At The Store If It Looks Like This

Whether your taste preference leans hoppy and hazy, light and refreshing, or dark and stouty, there's nothing like cracking open a cold one and enjoying the perfect sips of a refreshing brew. If you're grabbing a six-pack or stocking up for game day, you might assume whatever's on the shelf is good to go — and that quality lies more within the brewer itself than the store you're buying it from. 

However, the way stores handle and care for their beer impacts the final taste more than you might realize. There are some definite red flags to look out for when shopping for beer, and one glaring example is if the store displays beer in direct sunlight. While stores no doubt hope the window displays catch your attention, beer should never have direct exposure to light. Even a few minutes in the light can degrade beer's flavor by impacting the hops and creating a chemical compound known as MBT. 

Breweries know this — and take protective measures to safeguard their beer by packaging it in dark glass or cans, both of which act as shields against damaging rays. Despite these efforts, if you see a case of beer in a window display or set out in direct sunlight at a grocery store, liquor store, or brewery, turn around and buy elsewhere.

It's not just ourselves we need to protect from UV light damage on a hot sunny day. The hops in your favorite beer need sun protection too — and when not shielded from sunlight, beer can quickly become what's known as "light-struck" or "skunked," which is as unappealing and funky as it sounds. 

Since beer sellers usually know this, most keep their inventory in a climate-controlled warehouse, moving it as needed to the shelf display. While cool, dark spaces (never store your beer in the heat, either) are the optimal place to stash any beer, it's usually impossible to avoid the fluorescent lights of a grocery store. Some beer lovers will say even say that a store's fluorescent lights are doing damage to brews over time, and this is again where the protection of cans and darker glass comes into play. Of course, avoiding any and all light exposure is impossible, unless stores were to sell beer in total darkness. 

Luckily, for the average beer lover, the lights in a typical beer aisle at the grocery store are no cause for real concern, especially as inventory is quickly rotated in and replaced as it's sold. Just steer clear of any sloppy display choices that expose beer to direct UV rays, and once you've made your purchase, keep your beer stashed safely away from light sources at home (ideally in the fridge instead of at room temperature) for the best flavor and peak freshness.