“SKUNKY” IS JUST A CUTE WORD FOR BEER GONE BAD
There is actually a reason why seemingly rancid beer is termed “skunky.” “Light can hurt beer—they call it lightstruck,” says Beaune. “The light interacts with the hops in beer (the four ingredients in beer are malt, water, hops and yeast), and it can actually have this chemical reaction that creates a smell that’s the same as a skunk gives off, which is why you hear about skunky beer.”