How does price affect the styles you buy?

For me, not really.

I buy what I expect to have flavors I enjoy and then pretty much ignore price. Once the beers are in my fridge or their basement temporary home, in most cases I couldn't tell you off the top of my head what they cost. At some point hard to find prices will be too high and I'll just skip buying a beer to try or to repeat because I enjoy it. There are lots of alternatives.

 

Price is what keeps me from drinking Trappist beers every day. I live in PA where it is far more economical to buy cases so usually I will try new beers by buying singles or six/four packs and if I like it I move on to a case. So to answer your question I don't buy which ABV beers just so that I can get drunk and stay within budget. If I was going to do that I would switch from beer to wild irish rose.

 

Depends on how much I like a certain beer from it's style. I would pay top notch if it's a beer I really dig that I can't get normally..(Jarl for instance). Freshness has a lot to deal with it as well. I really dig a beer from Maine Beer Company called Another One. A few people won't pay the $7.99 price tag, but not an issue for me.

 

I like a good price to quality ration, myself

 

Hmmmm. The majority of my drinking is done at bars/pubs - in that situation price (other than the price being exorbitant, regardless of style) would never dictate what style I buy.

But for the beers I drink at home, I'd say i probably lean the same way. Not necessarily from a bang-for-buck perspective, but just because drinking at home is the time I tend to lean towards the higher ABV styles.

 

Price is a factor versus budget. In my case price limits only quantity. Imports of Belgian beer are near the only ones I will pay for anymore. Otherwise I home-brew. Just too limited by income (fixed, retired) to blow 100 bucks a week anymore.

Going out to pub(rare anymore), then price is also limiting factor. Which depends on pour size, or that crazy thing of value. styles is never been a factor. I get in the mood for an orval and its 12 bucks at a pub, well I going to have one, but only 1. again now that income is limited it effects what I CAN DO.

Not to mention my accountant (aka wife) holds me on tight budget...

 

It has an influence in terms of value and desire.

 

Will I spend $20 on a BA Stout or BA Barleywine bomber that's 10+% ABV? Yes without much hesitation (unless it's been given sub-par reviews).
Will I spend the same amount on a saison or sour? Most likely not.

 

I will just say - It should more than it does in my case.

 

It really depends, for me. Take FFF's stuff, for example: I really love Permanent Funeral, so I'll buy it for a while when it first hits, but at ~$15 a bomber I generally won't pick it up on a whim. Same thing with Sculpin; $16 is "a lot" for a 6 pack of a year-round release (although it's a great beer, so no arguments on whether it's worth of its price).

However, if we're talking seasonals, one-offs, etc. that I really want, I will generally pay whatever the MSRP is, without blinking. So when BCBS hits this year, I'll be spending craploads of cash on it, because that's what it costs.

 

I buy things a little differently. I'm not trying to optimize an alcohol/volume/price ratio of sorts. I have two little kids at home and the ability to buy 12-packs for what I consider a very reasonable price - around $16 for Sierra Nevada, Jack's Abby, Notch, Smuttynose, and various others. Alcohol rarely plays a factor - usually higher alcohol is a strike against buying something. I like to be able to drink 2 beers and not have to worry about being able to put my baby to sleep.

 

Pricing doesn't doesn't keep me away from particular styles once you take distribution out of the equation (If the only option is in my neck of the woods is expensive then I'll probably avoid the style). It'll steer me away from certain breweries as you mention and certain treatments and formats but not from any particular styles. As far as avoiding low ABV offerings or steering for the higher ABV offering, while I'm certainly not opposed to the alcohol in my beer I enjoy drinking beer for the flavor profile and the fact that a Hefeweizen may be 4.5% isn't going to make me avoid buying it in favor of some 10% Imperial Stout. Mood and season tend to be the determiner for me.

As far as my spending habits. A lot of the beer I buy comes in at around $2/12 oz or under* (base price, I'm not counting tax). That's for buying bottles for home, obviously if I'm out having a pint with the guys the price jumps dramatically. Not that I never buy beer with a higher price point but that I consider such purchases treat beers rather than a 'regular drinker'.

*Twelve pack of Sierra Nevada for $15 on sale? Yes please.

 

yes, I rarely buy barrel aged beers anymore

 

Ultimately the styles we buy affect the price.

 

I'm typically looking at quality and flavor profile first before price. I tend to lean towards stouts, IPA's and sours so am more inclined to pay a premium for the ones I like. Knowing obviously where I can get those at a good price point though in my area is key. 7venth sun has quality sours, Cycle has great IPA's, etc.. Being in Florida though a good session or gose is absolutely fantastic by the pool, so as far as ABV is concerned I don't pay as much attention to that I suppose. Typically the "big" beers I'm spending more on I want to share with friends, so experience plays a part in my decision.

 

Glad you clarified that "bang for the buck" expression. Around here a good Pils will cost less than something like a high ABV Double IPA, or Belgian style strong ale, but even if the cost were the same I'd often buy the Pils simply because sometimes that's the flavor profile that I'm looking to enjoy rather than something "heavier" and with more intense flavors.

 

I enjoy finding a good deal whenever possible, but I let quality be the deciding factor when it comes to spending on beer. If the beer I'm looking at is an acclaimed beer from a brewery known for its quality, then I don't mind spending the extra dollars. I tend to favor stouts over most other types of beers, and there are many, many "big" imperial/barrel-aged/special release stouts that command higher prices per bottle. But, as I see it, I'm going to drink what I like and I'm going to tend toward purchasing those those beers which I know are widely-praised for their quality, flavor profile and complexity and so I know I'm getting a good beer for what I paid for it. As an added plus, because I generally only drink about a beer a week with my work/fitness schedule, I'm not too worried about the impact on my wallet, so that usually helps to justify most of my purchases where I'm looking at spending a few more dollars on a 22oz bomber or a 750 whereas I could have spent the same amount on a 6pk of something of lesser quality or that I didn't quite want as much.

 

The 'bang for the buck' decision seems to happen subconsciously for me, with the exception of sours. I don't understand how session IPAs can be priced as high as say a DIPA, but I believe that sours are expensive to make, so it makes sense.