New Breweries - Big Bottles

A lot of places are going the bomber route and I guess its a double edge sword. They want people to try their beer w/o buying a six pack and product going to waste and give it a fair shot, but the price point is still driving a lot of people away.

Cheers!

 

It's not a Midwest only thing. A lot of breweries in California are doing the same exact thing. Sometimes the prices can be high but if I really want to try it I will just buy the bottle.

 

I hate the big bottle format. Boom Island in MN for example puts out an IPA, APA and Dubel in 750's. All are ten bucks. No WAY i will pay that for a 'regular' beer. Steel Toe in MN puts out what is considered 'cheap' bombers (4.99) but I still will not put that in my fridge with any frequency. Put your beer in a 10 dollar or below six pack, and it will make it into my fridge. Its all marketing for the big bottle...big bottle=big price.

 

What brewery do you reference?

 

For some reason, I thought this was just a West Coast phenomenon. As mentioned above, it wouldn't be so bad if the expensive stuff was limited to special releases, but that's not what's happening. You have single IPAs, ESBs, browns, ambers, and reds costing in the realm of $10. I wonder how these guys are doing sales-wise.

 

Depending on what's in the bottle, $7.99 to $9.99 for a 750 is a bargain around here.

 

this is very common in SD as well. Manzanita, Iron Fist, plus others all come in big formats, and charge a good amount. I usually pass on them, I will try them on tap because it usually works to the same or cheaper price. So far I have not had things from them that warrant the price or wanting a large bottle.

I think new breweries are doing this for a few reasons
1) They know beer geeks will try anything once
2) less bottles to fill per volume
3) they can charge a higher $/oz than 12oz beers

p.s. I am not knocking this method, it makes great business step, so no harsh feelings to the breweries I mentioned (except maybe me not loving loving their beer too much)

 

I'm surprised to see so many people who call themselves advocates unwilling to throw down a few bucks in support of their local brewery, even if just once.

Any small business who is just getting off the ground is going to have to charge a little bit more. It's very difficult to wring savings out of things like overhead and supply when you're just a little guy.

 

Of course the flip side of this argument is, what if you plunk down the higher price and find the beer's not worth it? How many new little local restaurants do you try once and never go back because the value didn't measure up to the cost? I'm not saying people shouldn't try their local brews, but if they're overpriced the breweries shouldn't be suprised by a lack of repeat sales.

 

Swamp Head has bottled two beers, each at $15 so far. They were a Saison and a Barleywine to be fair, but I hope every beer isn't going to be that expensive.

 

I don't disagree with that at all, and obviously the market will dictate who survives and who doesn't. But the relative difference in your investment on trying an "expensive" bomber from a new brewery is quite different then the cost of trying a new restaurant.

 

I'm usually willing to pick up a bomber or 750 if it's a beer I've never tried before depending on price. Once. After that, I'll probably never pick it up again unless it's one of the best beers I've ever had. Just too expensive.

Think of it this way, I've had both Hennepin and Ground Break. I'm jonesing for a Saison, what do you think I'm going to go for: the $9.99 750 or the $9.99 6 pack.....

 

The problem is that they're charging about 2x the going rate. That's not "a little bit more," at least on a relative basis.

And plenty of brewers have gotten off the ground, even recently, selling 6pks in the $10 ballpark. It's not impossible.

 

Only in flat dollars, but not relatively by percent. Hell, I could buy a $10 burrito off a new taco truck vs. a $10 bomber of beer and be equally disappointed by both. Bottom line is the same: fool me once, shame on you...

 

you do have a point that the extra cost may not be too much, it goes to a local place, and it is trying something new. However, from my view is that the market is slammed all the time with new beer. There are so many beers I cannot keep up with them. I have a hard time keeping up with my favorite breweries, plus all of the great beer that gets sent to me as a proxy, plus all of my homebrew. Therefore, if I am ever shopping for some random beer, a large format and expensive bottle from a brewery without a pedigree/hype is most likely not going to make the cut.

 

Right, but in the spirit of being an advocate and supporting your local brewery, at least give yourself the chance to be fooled once, right? I'm looking at OPs post...

Really? You won't roll the dice for a few extra bucks on a local brewer who's beer you WANT to try?

 

The way I see it is this--we're not starved for good beer, at least in Cali. There are so many options that I would not disagree with someone if they said the market's somewhat saturated. Sure there are gaps to fill in certain styles but it's pretty easy to walk into a store and walk out with a good beer in hand for a good price. When there are shelves filled with proven product at reasonable prices, why would a new brewery elect to insert their beer into the market at not-so-reasonable prices? As much as I want to support local product, at the end of the day, I still have to stick to my budget and if their prices are too high, they simply won't get my sale.

 

Yes, I'll roll the dice once, with an open (even hopeful) mind. But frankly, I'm not a fan of the whole "support your local brewery" thing. I mean, a brewery is a business, not a charity. So they should price their product accordingly.

 

What if I've already tried their beer on tap and deem it to be good but not mind-blowing? If it was on the shelf alongside some proven favorites, I would consider buying their beer if the price was competitive, but what if it's not?

 

You're missing my point. I'm not saying "buy from your local brewery even if they are overpriced and suck wang." I'm looking at OPs first post and asking why you would pass on a beer you want to try from a local brewer for a couple bucks savings.