Russian River prints a packaging date on every can and bottle in MM/DD/YY format. Use this page to decode your code instantly and check if your beer is still fresh.
02/08/26 → February 8, 2026. Bottled-on date. Pliny the Elder labels famously instruct: 'Not a wine. Do not age.'Standard American date format: month, then day, then year. 02/08/26 reads as February 8, 2026. Watch for European prints that use DD/MM/YY — usually noted by an explicit label or the location of the brewery.
Russian River's code is a Pack date — the date the beer was packaged, drink within a window after
On Russian River packaging, the date code is typically found on the bottom of cans or on the bottle neck. Some bottles also print it on the back label. Bottled-on date. Pliny the Elder labels famously instruct: 'Not a wine. Do not age.'
Russian River produces a range of styles, each with its own drinking window. For their most common categories:
These are guidelines, not laws — well-stored beer can outperform the curve, while heat-abused cans can stale much faster than expected. Storage temperature matters as much as age for hop-forward styles.
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