Pay No More Than $5!

Sad news everyone. The American pint is slated for the endangered species list. The growing trend by bars and restaurants to drop beers into 10–12-ounce glasses—and intentional short pours—is literally killing our chances of getting a proper red, white and blue 16-ounce pour of brew.

Far too many publicans and their staff are now blaming increases and shortages of beer’s raw materials and fuel costs as the reason why you’re getting less and paying more for it. They talk as if they’re struggling at the same level as the brewers. Huh? Then others in the next breath are talking about success and opening up new locations. What? Growth is great, bring it on, but c’mon.

That said, and in all fairness, the practice of tiny pours isn’t always without good cause. If a beer is high in alcohol content (8 percent ABV or above), then a smaller pour is always welcome—so long as it’s priced fairly, but that’s typically not the case. What we’re witnessing within the trend is overreaction, often with no rhyme or reason. Even worse, is direct price gouging. For example: Prices on kegs—at least in the Boston area—have only gone up $10–$30 on average. We recently ordered a beer that was $5 for a 16-ounce pint last year, but this year the bar has dropped it into a 12-ounce glass and is now charging $6—a 60-percent markup—or $8 a pint. Another bar was charging $10 for a 10-ounce pour of a 10-percent ABV beer, only to find out that the 15.5-gallon (approximately 2,000-ounce) keg cost the bar under $200—a gross revenue of $2,000.

That’s price gouging. That’s unacceptable. That’s Boston Harbor in 1773 begging to happen again.

Show of hands. Does anyone remember the old punk/hardcore LP pricing that had “Pay no more than $__” warning text on the sleeves? How about post-American hardcore revolutionist Fugazi with their $5 shows and $10 CDs? The concept behind both—apart from being a big F-U! to the establishment—was to be both affordable and profitable. We still remember walking into Strawberries Records & Tapes and seeing their markup stickers covering the “pay no more than” text, peeling them off and strutting up to the counter with plenty of indignation, prepared for a throw down.

Beer needs a good old-fashioned American hardcore kick in the ass. We need brewers to take control and consumers to stand up for fair pricing and act as industry watchdogs. That is, brewers need to act on these high prices and consumers need not accept them.

To Brewers
Don’t be afraid to approach a bar if you feel they’re charging too much for your beer. The risk of losing a handle, in the long run, is better than turning drinkers off or having slow sales due to high bar prices—often leading to quality issues. And, for the most part, you’re already setting your wholesale pricing, so, at the very least, make a suggested retail price range known to all—starting with the bars, and then listed on your website for consumers.

To Consumers
Make a statement. Stay away from blatantly overpriced beer and unnecessary short pours. Don’t buy them. Raise a fist and refuse to pay more than $5 for a 16-ounce pint of beer that’s less than 8-percent ABV and smaller pours that aren’t priced fairly—the whole “less for more” must end.

And to Bars
Don’t get us wrong. Beer is a business. Money needs to be made, and bills need to be paid. We get it. We love you. However, the price increases that we’re seeing with some of you aren’t justified, there’s a finger to the ceiling of acceptance, and prices don’t typically reverse themselves. Take a step back. Focus on quality and approachability, part of which is affordable pricing. Profitability will follow, but only if you get it.

Respect Beer. ■