Beer, which is an alcoholic beverage, typically stays in the human system for a few hours to a few days depending on the method of detection:
- Alcohol can be detected in the blood for up to 12 hours.
- It can be detected on the breath for 12 to 24 hours.
- In urine, alcohol may be detected for 12 to 72 hours or longer (up to 80 hours in some tests for heavy use).
- In saliva, alcohol can be detected for up to 12 to 48 hours.
- In hair, alcohol can be detected for up to 90 days.
Generally, the body metabolizes alcohol at the rate of roughly one standard drink per hour. One standard drink is equivalent to about 12 ounces of beer with 5% alcohol content. Many factors impact how long alcohol stays in the system, including genetics, body weight, age, liver function, the amount of food eaten, alcohol quantity consumed, and frequency of alcohol use. Heavy or chronic drinking can result in longer detection times.
