Expert: Spencer W Thomas - 8/4/2007

Question
if u have a cold case of beer and u leave it out in the heat for a day or two, then put it in a fridge, will it retain its original flavor?

Answer
Short answer: no.  

The sort of damage done to beer by getting it too hot is not generally reversible.  Also, to be clear, heat damage does not usually lead to "skunking".  Skunky beer is the result of exposing hoppy beer to light, particularly to green and blue light.  That is why European beers such as Heineken have a reputation for skunky aroma, because they're bottled in green glass and then often placed on a supermarket shelf under fluorescent lights.  Skunky beer smells very much like a skunk has "let go" nearby.  Lightly hopped beers such as Bud are not very prone to skunking.  Highly hopped beers such as pale ales are much more likely to skunk -- pour a pale ale into a glass and set it in the summer sun for 15 minutes and you'll be treated to a skunk fest.

To some extent, it depends on how hot it gets for how long, what kind of beer it is, how it's packaged, and how long since its "born on" date.  Basically, getting the beer hot accelerates aging.  So if your beer is fresh, it will likely survive getting hot with little noticeable damage.  If the beer is already near the end of its lifetime getting it hot may be enough to push it over the edge, to a place that it's just not tasty anymore.  You also don't know how it was treated before you got it.  Did it sit in a hot warehouse for a few weeks before it went onto the shelf at the store?  Did the store refrigerate it or did it sit at room temperature there?  

Having said all this, if you get the beer cold, and drink it cold, you'll be less likely to taste any heat-related effects than if you let it get warm before drinking it.  And, I have seen a few reports of some heat damage being reduced by a week or two of refrigeration.  But I've never seen it happen myself.

Beer is really pretty fragile.  Treat it gently and it'll taste better.