How often do you purchase packaged beer at retailers?

90% brewery direct here

in my case this isn’t like a major statement about “drink local brewery only bro”. It’s just I have two young kids and a hectic job, and literally the closest place that sells beer I enjoy drinking is Other Half Brewing. If Whole Foods was closer then that 90/10 number would be flipped.

 

The interesting twist on this in NYC is that many grocery stores, large and small, now have better selections than most dedicated "beer shops." Plus, there are several great breweries that you can get to pretty quickly via subway. Right now, I'm buying about 40% direct from breweries and 60% from grocery stores, with more than half of that from Whole Foods.

 

The Brewers Association and Beer Marketers Insights both estimate that the total "own premise" beer sales in the US for 2018 was between 3 and 3.25 million barrels out of a total US beer market of 194.3 million barrels - or about 1.5% of the market.

So, I'd say: "No".

Yeah, doesn't make sense to me. I could make a same-county, beer-run drive to Carton brewery, 50+ minutes (one-way, if it's not rush hour) of annoying local road driving - to buy beer. Or, I can buy Carton beers locally at my nearest beer store - and for less money, as I understand it - thanks to Carton's self-distribution network.

 

Went with "Mostly" here. I buy for the flagship store of a local grocery chain, so ~90% of the beer I buy comes from there. But of course I'd pick up at least a bottle or sixer of something if I'm already at/going to a brewery, especially if I'm visiting from out of state and they don't have distro in my area.

 

Great question @JackHorzempa I would say I'm 50/50 at this point in my beer purchases. When I first started drinking craft it was obviously 100% all retail/distributors and then once Tired Hands, Levante, etc. came into the area it titled in favor of them but now I'm seeing myself split down the middle. I don't necessarily seek out beers anymore so if I happen to drive through the area of West Chester or Ardmore, I'll stop at the breweries but I also frequent Kunda or the Beer Yard just as much.

 

I put not often. I occasionally will grab a four pack at the grocery store or gas station. If there was a craft beer store in my area that may be different. The times I do purchase retail it is usually to bring to a friends house or for an occasion (e.g. picnic, beach trip).

95% of what I drink is brewery purchases or sent in mail from friends or BIFs.

If I am in the area of a good beer store I usually go in and check stuff out, don't usually see anything I find worth buying.

 

I don't think I've ever bought a packaged beer from a brewery and I can walk to one. It just never made any sense to do so when they don't tend to have the best prices. Just easier to buy it from a store.

 

I seek out good beer and buy it wherever I find it.

 

Same boat, but I voted All the Time. My retailers happen to be pretty excellent while my locals are only good for the occasional change of pace. Plus, with the excellent regional brewers like Industrial Arts, Kane, Carton, etc. I can their stuff down the block, so why bother going to the brewery if I'm not in the area already.

 

Mostly retail stores for me. Most of the beer at brewery is growler refills does that count as packaged?

 

My beer buying is strategic: 1: NEIPAs and stouts direct from the Brewery (a large part of what I drink- Tree House is the main source by a good margin ) . 2: Lagers, Wild Ales and Barrel aged stouts from Beer/ grocery stores. The current mix is probably about 70/30

 

My vote was "All of the time", and that is overstating it only very, very slightly. I've bought 3 beers (bombers) directly from the brewery in the past 2 years. That was a brewery-only beer that I wanted to try, and the brewery is not far off my commuting route home.

Fact is, like the variety of brewers and styles available at a retail liquor store, and I don't like growlers or crowlers. In MN, you can't buy "normal" packaged beer at the brewery, (although the law is pretty loose on what a "growler" actually is, hence I was able to buy the bombers mentioned above) but even it you could, it likely would not change my buying patterns much.

 

Mostly from retail stores, my local breweries are all into the $20/4-pack thing and I can't justify spending that for all my beer purchases. Growler fills cost even more per ounce which makes no sense to me but I guess I'm missing something.

That said, I'd buy mostly local if their prices were competitive with the stuff I can get at the grocery store or total wine.

 

Voted "all the time".

There are three local breweries that I'd love to have their products in my fridge, but only two of the three offer to-go cans. Unfortunately, one of those is popular enough that a can release requires waiting in line to obtain - which I avoid. Personally, I opt to visit the day after a release to get the beer on draft.

Whenever the third brewery starts canning, I'll be keeping a tab on their offerings. They have strong fridge stocking potential with their diverse lager options.

 

About the only time I buy packaged beer at a brewery is when it is not something I can buy at a retailer. The price is generally higher at the brewery as they do not want to dissuade retailers from carrying their product by undercutting the usual price.