Maine Beer Company (Black Barn Program)

Maine Beer is dope and from everything I know operates their brewery way more ethically than the vast majority of others. The vitriol in this thread over not canning is absurd.

 

I remember my first post...

 

MBC is an awesome company that I enjoy supporting by going to their spacious and beautiful taproom and buying their reasonably priced drafts and delicious pizza. Doesn’t change the fact that they have deliberately built their brand on the premise of sticking with an outrageously overpriced and undesirable packaging format. As long as they can sell pricey bottles to tourists and unsuspecting rubes, good for them. I really like their brewery and will keep going there. But no way you’ll see me buying their bottles anymore. YMMV.

 

I think most of the discussion is more along the lines of pricing than canning, and I wouldn't describe it as vitriol. Most of the time when someone says "I wish they sold this in cans" they really mean "I wish the price was lower because most breweries that move from large(ish) bottle to cans lower their prices".

MBC makes great beer, has a great brewery, and as you say operate their brewery most likely much more ethically than the vast majority of others. That being said there are other breweries that are operating pretty ethically, providing their products in cans, and providing their beer at reasonable prices. Allagash would be chief among them. Without a doubt they are one of the most ethical breweries out there. Allagash certainly sells high priced beer but they also sell fairly reasonable priced beer. So if the argument is that MBC are high priced because you are paying the cost to purchase from an ethical brewery then I don't agree with that.

All that being said its MBC's prerogative to price beer the way they want and to package it the way they want. People are clearly buying it so they clearly know what they are doing. Its also our prerogative to question why the heck anyone would be paying the prices MBC charges on a regular basis?

I am quite fond of Dinner and Second dinner. Those beers are close to being worth the cost for me personally. To me there is something a bit different about those two. I'd probably consider paying $6 per bottle but I think they are closer to $8. They are premium to me whereas Lunch is not. I wouldn't pay $4 per bottle for Lunch because its not unique and I don't really love it. Its good fresh but I find it to fall off in quality really quickly.

 

Just out of curiosity, what does Russian River charge for their hoppy beers in 500ml?

 

I was just talking about MBC and their practices, and despite that, why I wouldn't pay a premium for that. I like their beer. I feel that their hops are much more refined than most of the stuff on the market. Their pricing and format are terrible. If Another One was in cans and priced around $3.50-4 a can, I think that it would be an easy purchase for me. At $7-9 a bottle, it's a look at how much dust is on this bottle beer.

 

Pliny is $6 I think, but someone who has been more recently can correct me.

 

I love Maine Beer Co, they make great IPAs, do so in a socially conscious way, and their new brewery is stunning - a must visit anytime you’re in the area. Me wanting cans is purely a preference. All this considered, I still only buy their beer on draft because their way of doing business does not justify charging 2x the price of equally good beer.

 

I've said it numerous times on this site.... Heady Topper is $12.50 for 64 ounces of beer. I love lunch. I pass on it EVERY time at $6.99 for 16 oz. Obviously what they're doing is working for them, it just doesn't work for me.

 

Im in this boat as well. I really enjoy their beers when I drink them but seeing $8.99 on the bottle is pretty dissuasive. Judging by some of the bottling dates in the shop near me I am not alone in this line of thinking. Too bad because A Tiny Beautiful Something or Post Ride Snack would be constantly in my fridge if they were more reasonably priced.

 

I feel the same way, but maybe we should give MBC some credit for sticking to their guns, because $5-6 for a single 16oz can of IPA is getting to be not that weird a sight these days...

 

I have basically the same opinion as @oldbean
I’ve seen lots of single cans at NY stores for 7-9$ from the likes of Grimm, Singlecut. And some of the Trillium 4 packs of brews comparable to Lunch go for $22.
Not that far off price wise.
In my area the regular bottles are 5.95 and lunch is usually 6.95.
I don’t buy often, but that has nothing to do with the price. My opinion may be different if I saw prices like mentioned above, but it still wouldn’t effect whether or not I buy.

At this point I’d be disappointed if they went to cans. That’s their thing. I’d feel the same way if Pliny came in cans.

Also, I love the availability of Dinner at the brewery and I grab some bottles every time I go.

 

I’m not a fan of the $5-7 cans from other breweries either, but I do buy them from time to time. Typically I feel those prices are a little more justified because the beers have a lot more hops per barrel? They’re usually big DIPAs or triples. Maybe I’m wrong. Either way, I think it’s too much for MBC to charge $6 -7 for a 16 oz bottle of pale ale.

Clearly it’s working for them though and they probably won’t change that so I suppose we can give this dead horse a rest.

 

I think part of their reasoning for bottles is its bottle conditioned and they claim it comes out better that way.

I'd buy some bottles of Dinner, MO, and Post Ride Snack if I visit the brewery. At liquor stores prices I can't justify it. And even on draft, it's only a treat, because it's still one of the most expensive draft options usually. Bars almost always limit MBC pours to 10oz for the same price as a 14-16oz of other similar beers.

 

That's true. That being said, if they switched to a 16 oz can format, their prices would drop. I just won't pay the premium for a format that I perceive to be less convenient. I think it makes sense for the doubles and what not, but I dont need a $6 bottle of a hoppy Amber (Zoe).

 

I’d be down with $14.00 4 packs of 12 oz. bottles.

 

Pliny is $5.50

 

they are just virtue signalers. Social justice as a business model. I know brewers who do plenty for the community (just give people jobs, paying taxes and providing a service is enough)- and you don't hear about it.

 

Anecdotally, I see Bissell Brothers posts with $4-5k checks going to charities/organizations on a somewhat regular basis. But they still manage to sell me their flagship at $3.50/can, their most highly hopped beer at less than $5/can, and barrel-aged beers at $6 or less per can. Now if MBC has some policy like starting employee pay of $20/hour with full benefits and other share the wealth items above and beyond the 1% for the planet (6-7 cents/beer roughly?) and miscellaneous donations, then I'll buy the line they are selling that the "mission" is not there just to make the consumer feel better about paying $2 more than what we'd be willing to pay with no label on the bottle.

 

On the wall in their taproom it says: "their minimum pay for full-time employees is $18 an hour, they pay full health insurance and contribute 5% of pay to retirement regardless of employee contribution."