PFAS in Beer: What You Need to Know About Forever Chemicals in Your Favorite Brew

Looks refreshing — but what’s really in your beer? PFAS, or forever chemicals, may be hiding in the brewing water.

Forever Chemicals in Your Beer? Yep, It’s a Thing—and It’s Not Great

I didn’t think I’d be side-eyeing my favorite craft beer—but here we are.

Turns out, your go-to brew might come with a little something extra you didn’t order: PFAS, aka forever chemicals. You know, the same toxic stuff found in nonstick pans, fast food wrappers, and waterproof mascara. Now it’s crashing your happy hour.

So, What’s the Deal?

A recent nationwide study tested beer samples and found PFAS in 95% of them. Yes, 95%. That’s not a typo. The source? Good ol’ tap water.

Since beer is basically 90% water, any nasties in the brewing supply go straight into the final pour. And if your favorite brewery happens to be near a known PFAS hotspot (hi, Cape Fear River Basin in NC or St. Louis County, MO), the odds of contamination go up.

Why Should Beer Drinkers Care?

PFAS are called forever chemicals for a reason—they don’t break down. Not in your body. Not in the environment. Not ever. Over time, they build up, and that’s when the real issues start. We’re talking:

• Hormone disruption

• Immune system problems

• Cancer risks

• Liver and kidney damage

• Developmental delays in kids

While one beer won’t wreck your system, PFAS exposure adds up—especially when it’s coming from multiple sources like food, water, cookware, and now…beer.

Can Breweries Do Anything About It?

Absolutely. But here’s the thing: most breweries don’t use water filters that remove PFAS. The good news? Some advanced systems do exist, like:

• Activated carbon filters (the MVP of PFAS removal)

• Ion exchange resins

• Reverse osmosis filters (basically the Bentley of clean water tech)

Breweries that invest in these are doing the real work to keep their brews—and their customers—safer.

What Can You Do?

Until PFAS-free beer becomes the norm, here’s how to sip a little smarter:

• 🍺 Ask your local brewery if they test or filter their water for PFAS

• 🔍 Support brands that are transparent about water quality

• 🚰 Use a certified PFAS-removing filter at home to reduce your overall exposure

• 🛠️ Try homebrewing your own beer — that way, you control the water from the start

Homebrewing isn’t just a fun hobby (hello, DIY bragging rights). It also gives you total control over your ingredients — including the most important one: clean, filtered water. Bonus: you can skip the PFAS and still enjoy a cold one that’s truly your own.

Final Verdict:

Forever chemicals don’t belong in beer.PFAS in your pint? That’s a hard pass. While the science is still unfolding, one thing’s clear: clean water makes better beer. So raise your glass to breweries doing it right—and keep asking the hard questions. Because great taste shouldn’t come with a side of toxicity.

If you have questions, anything to add to this topic, or have found anything related to PFAS that others should know, reach out and share it with me.

About the Author: Erik is the writer behind The Forever Chemical Files, a blog about living with less exposure to PFAS (forever chemicals). After seeing cancer affect his family, he set out to find safer, PFAS-free alternatives — and share what he learns along the way.