Are year-old cans of beer OK?

Only one year? I still have a 6-pack of Billy Beer.

Canned beer won’t skunk (skunking is the reaction of UV with hop oils. Cans block out all UV).

With a canned, pasteurized beer there are only two things that will change the flavor: oxidation and age.

Sitting for a year with the oxygen in the head space of the can will cause the beer to oxidize to some degree so you will notice that unpleasant change in flavor. It may not be too bad but you’d have to taste to make sure. With the style of beer that you are drinking, off flavors will be very noticeable.

Your biggest flavor change will come simply from the age. Beer loses both hop aroma and hop bitterness over time. Being an American style lager, Molson’s Canadian doesn’t have much in the way of hops to begin with so you may find the flavor unpleasant. Once again, the only way to know for sure will be to taste it. Who knows, you may like it better aged for a year.

I can assure you of one thing, though: There is nothing that can live in beer that will harm you. So, when in doubt, fridge it for a few days and give it a taste. If you don’t like it, pawn it off on someone else.

Coors Light is better when aged-in fact, the longer you leave it in the can, the better, the optimum being eternity.