How Long Does Beer Take To Get Cold In The Fridge?

So you pull out a beer that's been in the fridge for probably long enough, but it's not quite cold yet. Still got a ways to go. How long has it actually been in there versus how long you've been wanting a frosty beer?

Well, we literally just took a few beers we had lying around the office and popped them in the fridge. They were ready for consumption after two hours and not one moment before; however we did keep opening the fridge to check, letting out precious cold air. (See our infographic: Where Food Goes In The Fridge.) That is still a ridiculously long time, and the reason why the brews you stashed in there for half an hour aren't cold yet. Hear us? They're not cold until they're cold!

If you need your beer cold RIGHT NOW, employ this hack, which works equally well with wine bottles. Or, you know, just buy your beer chilled.

An important note from beer writer Jon Katz: "You don't actually always want your beer to be ice-cold; hops lose their fruity flavor and come off as bitter pricklers when they are cold. That's why a lot of times people who try IPAs when freezing cold are turned off to them."

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