Ottima birra bionda forte, dai toni morbidi e generosi. Skunked is a term we use when referring to beer that’s been compromised by exposure to UV rays. (The technical term is, appropriately, “lightstruck.”) When that bottle of beer is opened—and skunked beer only happens in bottles—there will be an unmistakable aroma of “skunk,” which may or may not influence your desire to drink or discard the beer.

The reason only bottled beer can be skunked is because UV rays can only reach the beer through glass bottles. Brown bottles do the best job at protecting the beer (about four times more protected), while green bottles are more susceptible, and clear glass bottles are (clearly) the most susceptible to skunking. While humans can slather on the SPF 50 and wear hats the size of small boats, we can’t quite do the same for our beer. Sure, we could put all of our beer in cans or brown bottles, but the industry is made up of hundreds of breweries, each with its own entrenched marketing and branding. Green glass and even clear glass bottles are not about to go away. Among the misperceptions about skunked beer is that it takes a long time for a beer to get skunked, when in fact the reaction can happen fairly rapidly. So your best bet, especially if you’re drinking out of a green or clear glass bottle, is to keep your beer out of the sun. Beer Style Guide Want to explore the world of beer? Check out our guide to world's most popular types of beer.