Why are Belgian beers so expensive?

Actually, a bottle of Pilsner Urquell is probably closer to $4.00-$4.50 in a beer shop.

 

And if I purchased a single bottle at my local beer retailer I would have paid something between 4-5 bucks. I chose to purchase in 'bulk' instead and bought a 6-pack for 10 bucks.

Cheers!

 

FYI, Delaware, Total Wine: $7.99

 

Idk, I get most Belgian 33cls under/around 2€.

Actually sipping one of those - Saison Dupont - right now.

As for prices, what other people have said. Imports and somesuch. I mean, if I wanna get my hands on some Murricuns or even U.K. beers I'll dish out between 2.60-5€ per 33cl.

 

Which further details that beer imported from Europe can be priced economically despite import fees, exchange rates, transportation costs, long distribution chain, etc.

For some reason Trappist Ales and Cantillon are not priced economically. I wonder what that reason is!?!

Cheers!

 

Might or might not be fair to say.

Summer of 2011 when headed south along 95 to visit some folks in VA, I got a couple of the 337 ml bottles of Cantillon for $7.99 each. Haven't seen any anywhere since. What do they go for where you've see them?

On that same trip while in VA I got 2 of the 375 ml bottles of Drie Founteinen Oude Gueze for just a shade under $10 a piece. Also haven't seen any more anywhere since.

 

Ahh, popular demand. After all the customer is always right and if they want to pay that much why not let them? :-)

 

The last price I saw was on a broadcast e-mail of one of my local beer retailers; he had 375 ml bottles of Cantillon that he was pricing at 14 bucks (that translates to 28 bucks for a 750 ml bottle).

My first thought when I read that e-mail was: wow! that price is crazy!!

My second thought I can not publish.

Cheers!

 

That's a BINGO!

Cheers!

 

Not sure why you only mention Cantillon but Cantillon and Trappist Ales require significantly more time, labor, and $ to produce than a German Hefe.

 

I homebrew beers including making my own Belgian Trappist style Ales so I am well aware of what it takes to produce these beers.

Even with the 'extras' to brew these styles of beer you could purchase Trappist beers and Cantillon 'economically' in Europe. This has been discussed in this thread. For example:

Average supermarket prices here in The Netherlands;

Chimay blue €1,60
Gulden draak €1,60
St berdardus (ABT 12 = €2)
Rochefort 10 €2,20

Cheers!

 

That is outrageous...you can get it for not much more than £1.00 a bottle (and I was probably being a bit conservative on the price for a single bottle in a beer shop, but it is cheaper in a supermarket)...Most of the Belgian beers mentioned will be $6.00-$7.00 in England.

 

Yup, my local beer retailer's price per bottle is indeed outrageous. It is really not big of an issues for me since I simply refuse to buy a single bottle. I should mention that there is a 'discount' if you purchase that bottle as a 'mix-a-six'; buy six different individual bottles and the price is $12.

The bottom line is that it is wise to purchase in 'bulk' at that retailer.

Cheers!

 

I meant that it is outrageous you can get it for £1.00 in North America. But you can get it fairly cheap in a supermarket here, if you by four bottles, but not that cheap! England is expensive. About two years ago I bought a 750 ml bottle of Cantillon for something like $11.7. Now it would probably cost $31.00 in the same shop.

 

Though he objects to contemporary American cultural imperialism, LordCrabapple is pleased he can buy Brooklyn Lager for $2.34 in a current supermarket deal (4 for $9.36).

 

Luckily home brewing 5 gal of a quad has nothing to do with running a full scale brewery.

 

there is a beer wine and spirits superstore here, great store called binnys, chicagoland only, anyways, I'm not sure of promotion or just selling off to make room, great bargain just the same

 

just an update fyi , that is a sale price

 

Thanks! I suspected as much.

Cheers!

 

In my area, they are imported by a Wine importer, they are high ABV, which means Liquor store, and they are expensive due to those three factors. Tennessee's quirky ABV laws drive up prices, and the distribution does no favors. But the climate is changing. East Tennessee is going more progressive, as the tax revenue is more important. I have liquor stores near me in the same and adjacent counties, and local liquor stores will soon be an option too. Revenue is why. And the selection is improving due to this. And will continue to do so. Soon I won't have to leave Athens.