The silent majority finally speaks

Gotta agree with the people asking how 1 in 4 equates to a majority. I'm all for reasonable prices, and between two equivalent beers I'll usually buy the cheaper one. But I'm also among the actual majority of craft beer drinkers who have been speaking loudly with their wallets for years. I spend a lot on beer and I'm not complaining about it.

 

Yeaaaaaah maaaaan! I mean what is money anyway maaaaaaaaaaan? *puff puff pass*

 

It is that old world way in which we rely on our survival skills instead of attaching ourselves to money. Yeah, I have a weird take on such matters, but hey I had a grandfather who knew the value of survival without money, and instead relied on the land and his skill to carry him and our family through!

And all hail beer!

 

Yes I agree that economically money matters, and for us not to get TOO deep, I wish things were different in this area. Sometimes I believe the economic system is made up with out much say from the consumer, and we have to follow the criteria for such economic trends.

I am just in the total belief that money really has no value after the fact of products. I value rather the hard work ethic, mental abilities, and social skills that one has. This is just my two cents of the issue...

 

Hey, I agree that on a philosophical level money has little significance, and things like personal virtue, aesthetics, and whatever else are important considerations. To be frank, a big part of my job is understanding the ways that capitalist systems have formed and propagated global and local structures of social inequality throughout the last 500 years. Trust me, I'm no fan of money.

But we're talking about the free market, here. The last three years, I've made shit money working as a teaching assistant and it's still the most I've ever made. Thank god I'm single, in good health, live in a dirt-cheap housing market, and have loans in deferment, because otherwise, among other things I'd have to cut back on the roughly $10-20/ week that I spend on craft beer.

If money didn't matter to me when it comes to craft beer, I'd be horribly irresponsible with my money considering my current status, and I know I'm not the only one. I'm just saying that in a market economy, money matters by definition.

 

Yeah, nothing like going for a run and then beer bonging a BT. Good for the soul.

Cheers!

 

That's a great way to look at life. But if you'll join us here in the real world, you'll see that money matters.

 

I've always maintained you can't complain about the price of beer being too high. To think you can buy so many 4 packs of world class beers for $10 or bombers for $6 or $7. What do wine drinkers pay for a good bottle of wine or scotch drinkers pay for the best single malts? Craft Beer is by far the best value when comparing the prices of "top shelf" alcoholic beverages.

 

The surprise (to me) is that the vast majority did not.

 

Sure, and I love wine and I love scotch. But, I rarely spend a lot of money on either of them, because of the money issue. I occasionally buy a bottle of wine for $5-15, but that's about as much as I'll ever spend on wine until I am more financially secure. Scotch, I don't even bother with, but if somebody gives me some I'll gladly accept.

So, I'm already basically classed out of scotch aficiando-dom and half- classed out of wine aficiando-dom, so I'm always watching price trends in the craft beer world and within certain breweries and styles. Like, I have yet to get into any barrel-aged barleywines or stouts, or sours for that matter, because of my price threshold(s). Kinda sucks, but it is what it is, and I know what I'm willing to pay or not pay for different beers, and why. Just my 2¢.

 

I understand but there are great beer alternatives in every price range. If you want a barley wine, try Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot ($10) or Insanity for $12 for a 4 pack. Brooklyn Monster Ale is $7.99 (or Bigfoot). And if you want a great stout and think O.B. Ten Fiddy is priced too high (which I do) you can buy Old Rasputin for $8.99 (4 pack). We can't expect every beer to be priced reasonably but there are great beers out there in every style that are affordable.

 

And when I want a beer in one of those styles, that's definitely what I go for. Green Flash Double Stout is one of my favorites, or McNeill's Dark Angel (heinously underrated, in my opinion). Black Chocolate stout, ditto. Bigfoot, obvious choice. Etc., etc., etc.

 

And sadly money has to matter.

 

And speaking of teaching assistant or teaching all together, I believe this along with the healthcare industry(by merit and not economical) is very honorable. The fact that teachers are paid crap is sad, as they indulge knowledge that helps you in the world, and/or adds to your life knowledge. The fact that the healthcare is based on economic status and not from the human side of taking care of your fellow man is also crap.

Any ways, I am having a Fegleys Devious Imperial Pumpkin Ale!

 

Fair enough, man. Fair enough. My poor ass will be consuming a can of tasteless Brazilian macro this evening :-)

 

So the majority is no longer silent. What is the majority called now?

 

Yeah, and who's the subaltern now, too? Those who spend only as much as is socially accepted? Damn—guess they're not the subaltern anymore.

 

"The economy, stupid" - James Carville, 1991

 

Gayatri Spivak? Anyone? No?

 

A website called Save on Brew did a survey and the vast majority of people said they don't care about saving money.