# Brown Booze Bottles

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brown-booze-bottles/57980>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 14, 2001, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brown-booze-bottles/57980 "2001-03-14T18:05:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brown-booze-bottles/57980/1 "2001-03-14T18:05:50Z")

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Why does so many makers of booze (and beer) bottle their product in brown bottles?  
I know bottles also come in clear and green, but what is it about brown? Is the color supposed to absorb certain wavelengths of light harmful to spirits?

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**Author:** ![sethdallob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@sethdallob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sethdallob)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brown-booze-bottles/57980/2 "2001-03-14T18:14:01Z")

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I think you are right. A darker bottle = less sunlight. Sunlight speeds decomposition and makes bacteria very happy.

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brown-booze-bottles/57980/3 "2001-03-14T18:49:58Z")

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UV light causes hops to go sour very quickly. Brown bottles are UV blockers; green and clear aren’t.

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**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2001, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brown-booze-bottles/57980/4 "2001-03-15T00:13:43Z")

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I remember this from my homebrewing days: the UV in sunlight can impart a sulphur smell and taste to beer, but won’t actually make the beer bad -just bad tasting.

Brown bottles block most of the UV, green bottles block some, and clear glass is useless.

Whatever colour glass your favourite drop comes packaged in, keep the stuff in a dark place, m’kay?

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**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2001, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brown-booze-bottles/57980/5 "2001-03-15T00:24:02Z")

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Slight hijack: Isn’t there also a reason that beer can’t be put in flat-sided (like Jacks Daniels) bottles?