It’s not unheard of to discover a long lost can of soda under the seat of the car or buried behind other things in the pantry. But if you do discover a vintage can of soda is it safe to put it back in the fridge and then drink it once it’s nice and cold? Or will you be opening yourself up to illness or worse? In short, does soda go bad? In this brief guide the team behind our CBD Sparkling Sodas take a close look at the question and also look at ways you can extend the shelf life of soft drinks.
Does Soda Go Bad? An In-Depth Look
Soda tends to be one of those things people consume soon after they purchase it. Sometimes as soon as the change hits their pocket they pop the top and tip it back. But even if they buy it in quantity it doesn’t usually take more than a week or two to go through all the Sparkling CBD Soda in the fridge. So what about those rogue cans that appear a year or more after you lost track of them? Do they go bad? Can you drink them? “Yes” and “yes”. We’ll explain.
When chicken goes bad you should avoid it like the plague because it becomes a petri dish of dangerous bacteria just waiting to attack your insides. On the other hand, when soda is significantly past its sell-by date it too goes bad, but only in the sense that it loses its carbonation and flavor. You can still drink it if you want to. But why in the world would you want to?
How to Tell if Your Soda Has Gone Bad
Let’s assume for a moment that you’re not a glutton for punishment and you don’t have any interest in drinking soda that’s gone bad. Let’s also assume for a minute that you found a can of soda in the back of the fridge and you’re not sure how long it’s been there. How can you tell if it’s gone bad? There are a few ways.
- Expiration date: The first way to tell if a soda has gone bad is to look at the expiration date on the can or bottle. Being past the expiration date is not necessarily an indication that the soda has gone bad, but it will indicate whether you can go ahead and chug it with impunity or if you should approach this particular beverage with caution. If the expiration date was last week or even last month it will likely still have all of its fizz and flavor. If the expiration date was more than a couple of months ago you’re getting into questionable territory. It might be fine, or it might be flatter than eastern Colorado.
- The fizz: Okay, so you found an old can of Colorado’s Best Drinks Sparkling Ginger Ale in your fridge and the expiration date was 11 weeks ago. What’s the next step you should take in order to determine if this Sparkling CBD Soda is still the crisp refreshing beverage it was when you bought it? The answer? Pop it. If you hear that “fssssssssssst” sound when you pop the top and then you hold it up to your ear and hear bubbles popping away inside, it’s likely just fine. If, however, there is no sound when you pop the top and no sound of bubbles percolating inside once it’s opened, it’s probably gone bad.
- The taste: Okay, you discovered one of our CBD drinks in your fridge, you noticed it’s 11 weeks past the expiration date and when you opened it there was only a minor “fsst” sound. What next? If you don’t hear bubbles popping away inside the best thing to do is not to taste it, but to pour some in a glass and see what you’ve got. If it’s lively in the glass it’ll be fine. If it’s flat then whether you drink it or not will be entirely up to you. But if you do drink it don’t be surprised if it’s not what you hoped it would be.
How Long Does Soda Last?
It's difficult to put an exact time on it, but in most cases, carbonated sodas should last at least 6 months and as long as 9 months from the date they're manufactured and sealed into the can or bottle. Because the amount of time that passes between manufacture and the customer opening the can or bottle will vary, your best bet is to use the expiration date as a guide.
How to Optimize the Shelf Life of Soda
- Store them in a cool, dark place: Keep your excess cans of soda out of the sun and away from heat sources until you’re ready to put them in the fridge and cool them prior to consumption.
- Store leftovers in bottles: If you only drank half a can of soda and you don’t want to throw the rest away then pour it into a bottle and seal it up tight before putting it in the fridge.
Our CBD beverages are fresh and lively and full of flavor, but like any other soda out there they won’t last forever. While drinking flat soda that’s well beyond its expiration date shouldn’t make you sick like bad chicken will, there’s no compelling reason to risk it. Just toss the old soda, recycle the can and place a new order for one of our Sparkling CBD Soda flavors. Or two. Or three...