Session IPAs. I don't get it

12th of Never Ale is my fav. That and Pinner. Everything else sucks. I haven't had All Day for a few years. I have a 2014 in my fridge that I am keeping for sort of an experiment.

 

Thanks for the graphic above on page 2. But I'm not buying it totally. Breweries love to say they "have" to charge us more when they add in adjuncts or a crap ton of dry hops. But when they actually use so little of ingredients, they point to the graphic about ingridients being of so little significance.. You can't have it both ways and I will call out places who seemingly overcharge for very basic beers. When will they ever say, "we have to charge you less since we used so little of everything". Like I said, I get the specialty styles and even your lagers, but a basic ass 4% golden ale? Nah, that needs to be at least $0.50 less per sixer. They get away with it, so it continues.

To be fair, My mind is on a smaller home brew scale. I can get away with so much when doing a session beer, where costs can go down some 40%. It rarely translates on a larger scale, yet the breweries are obviously using less raw materials and even pitching less yeast.

 

If $0.50 a six or 8 cents a beer is a deal breaker, I am not sure what to say.

 

Never thought I would want want less alcohol in my beer...Huh ?! But if I'm playing a gig I gotta keep it in check. I go with Stone's "Go to IPA" or Deschute's "Hopslice Session IPA" when it's available. And drink tequila afterwards...

 

It's the principal of the matter. They're allowed to charge more and claim ingredients, but cant charge less because of less ingredients?

I buy Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose at $11/sixer without any regrets. It's some 25% more than other relatively the same ABV beers..

I guess I have yet to find a session IPA that is deemed "worth it". I will however buy hoppy pilsners without a second thought on pricing.

 

I really enjoy Stone's Go To IPA (4.8%) and Firestone's Easy Jack (4.5%)

 

Pinner from oskar blues is wonderful.

 

Good points.

Sure... I understand that alcohol-wise 3 Luponics are equivalent to 4 All Days. And I understand that true sessions are sub 4%abv. I also live in an area where Heady and SOS grace the table at most family get-togethers and holiday parties. In my mind 5.9% clocks in a little light for an IPA and its a great choice when you don't want to sacrifice flavor and still have a couple. And referencing my comparison above I'd rather "session" 3 Luponics than 4 All Days more times than not.

 

Here's another discussion and breakdown with slightly different assumptions, but it's still in the same ballpark. It also compares costs of commercial brewing to homebrewing and the differences are stark.




Also, there are less tangible but significant factors on final beer price like what the market will bear, regional price variations (e.g. New York City vs Austin suburbs vs rural Montana), and the price the final retailer decides to set. Those factors can impact the consumer's cost as much or more than than some minor changes of malts and hops.

That said, I did state previously that although I don't expect a session IPA to be cheaper, price is always a factor in any beer purchase; and price is a stronger consideration if I plan to be drinking many of the same beer. Brewers (large or small) still need to compete on price and value to me, but I wouldn't hold some personal assumption of raw material value over other factors (principally my taste).

 

Reminds me of Tired Hands recent can release of Trendler Pilsner at $15 per 4 pack. Seems reasonable...

 

Yeah...to each their own.

I don't think I have ever put Session IPAs on my beer "shopping" list.

I'm not saying I don't enjoy them, but they aren't really something I have ever sought out.

For me I think it probably comes down to price. Why pay the same price for a 4% Session IPA when I can get a standard 7% IPA from the same brewery, at the same price.

 

I agree. Why would I pay for a lower alcohol beer that costs the same as a DIPA sixer...stupid concept.

 

If you believe the article @oldbean posted, 3 Luponics will have significantly more of an effect on your BAC than 4 All Days. The example given is that a 5% beer per hour leaves double the amount of alcohol in your system compared to a 4%. This is due to the rate at which the human body process alcohol. The total amount of alcohol is irrelevant; the amount of alcohol above the amount your body can process is what causes the ill effects.

Great article, thanks for sharing.

 

Some people want to enjoy a few beers without the effects of a 7%+ beer.

Even if session IPA six packs were priced $2 less than the IPA six packs by the same brewery, it's only a savings of 33 cents per beer. I don't see many breweries with DIPAs priced the same as their session IPAs, maybe NB.

 

If your primary concern is alcohol per dollar, beer is a poor choice in general.

 

It doesn't have to be the primary concern but it is a concern. Along with taste and freshness and overall cost.

 

To the brewers I say if you want to trade your beer for my dollars give me a reason why your diminished versions are worth as much as your best examples.

 

It's just your opinion that low alcohol beers are "diminished versions". If your goal is to get alcohol I to your system, I can see that line of thinking. Otherwise, saying a beer with higher alcohol if "better" is as arbitrary as saying a beer that has more hops is automatically better.

For example, RIS aren't necessarily better than IPAs. It depends on the drinker - his preferences and goals. IPAs can be expensive, but you get a lot of hops for the money. RIS can be expensive, but you get a lot of malt (and therefore higher ABV) for the money. It's a trade off sure, but just respect the fact that alcohol content is just one facet of beer, not the end-all-be-all. I can honestly say I don't even look at ABV when I pick up a new beer, unless I plan on driving after, in which case I actually prefer a low one.

This idea of "I'm getting ripped off if the ABV isn't through the roof" is going to leave us with 15% pilsners.

 

I didn't mention alcohol, I was referring to session beers which are the topic of this thread. Session beers are brewed with fewer ingredients and fewer is a diminishment under any definition of the word.

Are you aware of any Brewer who claims their Session beers are their flagship brews, in fact the best they can produce? If so please provide the links, I am always willing to learn.

 

http://www.notchbrewing.com