In the world of beverage alcohol, quality and consistency matter just as much as creativity. Breweries, wineries, and distilleries all put care into how their products are presented, from flavour to packaging to shelf stability. One of the most visible ways this shows up is through date coding. Whether it is a packaged on date or a best before date, these small stamps on cans, bottles, or cartons give customers confidence in freshness and help producers maintain accountability.
At Gorman & Smith, we have been considering how the same principles apply not only to what goes into the glass but also to the equipment behind it.
Packaging Dates and Best Before Dates
Different beverage alcohol categories handle date coding in different ways. Most brewers use a packaged-on date, which tells customers exactly when the beer was filled. This approach is transparent and allows the consumer to make their own judgment about freshness. Other products, such as ready-to-drink cocktails, ciders, or cream liqueurs, often use best-before dates to communicate a clear quality window.
Neither system functions like an expiry date. Beverage alcohol does not pose a food safety risk in the same way perishable products do. Instead, these codes are about quality. They tell the customer how long the producer expects the product to taste, smell, and pour the way it was designed.
Packaged On vs. Best Before Dates
| Type of Date | What It Means | Common In | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packaged On Date | The exact day the product was filled, canned, or bottled. | Beer, especially craft breweries. | Transparency: lets customers judge freshness themselves. |
| Best Before Date | The producer’s quality window, after which flavour or texture may decline. | Ready to drink cocktails, cream liqueurs, ciders, and some imports. | Convenience: communicates how long quality is expected to hold. |
For breweries, wineries, and distilleries, these practices are about setting expectations. Customers know when to enjoy the product at its best, and producers reinforce their reputation for quality and consistency. Behind the scenes, date codes also support better inventory management, help reduce waste, and provide a straightforward way to track production lots if a recall ever becomes necessary.
Why Traceability Matters
Traceability is a cornerstone of modern beverage alcohol production. While most customers only see the packaging or best before date, behind it lies a system of lot coding and record keeping that allows producers to trace ingredients, packaging, and finished goods from raw material through to the consumer.
This matters because recalls, while rare, are an unavoidable part of the food and beverage industry. Being able to trade forward to identify which customers received a batch, and trade back to confirm which raw materials went into it, gives producers confidence that they can respond quickly and decisively. Even when there is no recall, the same systems help maintain consistent quality and provide assurance to distributors and customers alike.
Traceability is not just about compliance. It is about building trust. When customers see that a producer takes accountability seriously, they are more confident in the brand and more likely to remain loyal over time.
Extending Traceability to Equipment
Producers already know the value of date coding and lot tracking in their own operations. These systems ensure accountability, reinforce customer confidence, and provide peace of mind if something ever needs to be traced back. At Gorman & Smith, we believe the same principles should apply to the tools and fittings that support production.
That is why our new line of sanitary stainless steel and Tri Clamp fittings includes batch identifiers. In the same way, a packaging date can track a can of beer or a best-before date can guide the freshness of a ready-to-drink product; these identifiers link each fitting to its original material batch. This is not an extra feature. It is the professional standard our customers deserve.
For brewers, distillers, and food manufacturers, this means added confidence. Every ferrule, valve, and Tri Clamp fitting carries built-in accountability. If questions ever arise about performance or material quality, the information is already there.
Our Commitment to Quality
Date coding on beverage alcohol, whether 'best before' or 'packaged on,' is about more than just printing numbers on a package. It represents a commitment to quality, consistency, and accountability. At Gorman & Smith, we hold ourselves to that same standard. By adding batch identifiers to our stainless steel fittings, we are reinforcing our dedication to traceability and giving our customers the same confidence they provide to theirs.
Packaging dates remind customers that producers care about what is inside the package. Heat codes remind our customers that we care about the equipment supporting their production. Both come down to the same principle: accountability you can trust.
Explore our full range of sanitary stainless steel and Tri-Clamp fittings to see how our commitment to quality can support your brewery or distillery.