bombers vs 4/6 packs

When trying new beer I'm always a little cautious buying a 6 pack because there's always the off chance that I might be stuck with 5 beers I don't like. Luckily, I have a couple buddies who have joined me in a buying co-op so we split a few 6ers every once in awhile. On the down side, we each only got 2 bottles of 2XMAS and now I can't find any more in the greater KC metro. Would love to have the whole 6er right now!

 

I'm pretty sure just about everyone feels the same way as you. There are a lot of threads you can find on the issue and the pricing behind it.

 

I'd vote for every beer to be available in a 12oz bottle/can. The main problem is breweries see how well bombers which often give you less beer for more money sell...and I doubt they are going to go away from that, even if it is best for the consumers.

 

Personally, I'd like both, but you can't eat your cake and have it, too, right?

Bombers are nice when it's just a friend and I wanting to share a beer. It makes for two 11-oz servings, decent sized, especially for higher gravity beers and such. But like you said, when I'm alone and just want a beer with dinner, I don't always want a 22-oz bottle of Double Bastard, but 12-oz would be perfect. Plus, buying a six pack of a beer you've never had can be risky - it could be poop and now you're stuck with five more bottles.

 

Dear Lagunitas,

I BEG YOU, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE MAKE HOP STOOPID AVAILABLE IN 6 PACK FORMAT!!!!!!!

 

This is one of the many reasons I love Great Divide.
Bomber of Yeti. Check
4-pack of Yeti. Check

 

For the people saying you could hate the beer and be stuck with five more....well what if you open a 22oz bomber or 750 and you hate it? At least with the six pack that gives you five bottles to trade (if someone is looking for it) or give to let friends try it.

Plus the store I shop at sells everything as singles (is this a rarity?) so I am never stuck with extra beers I don't like.

 

That would be incredibly awesome, considering I can get a bomber for $5 here in PA as is.

I second the motion on this one.

 

Said this guy never.

 

Perhaps it's a mental issue but I still feel like I've lost less when it's only a bomber, especially if it's something that most people wont trade for.

Example, Ruination is 6-7$ for a bomber, but about $16-17 for a six-pack at a store near my house. If I try the bomber and hate it... well, I'm out 7$. But if I buy the six-pack, now I'm essentially out another 10$ and stuck with these beers. Ruination doesn't trade well since you can get it basically everywhere, and most of my friends/family don't like craft beers (especially not ones as aggressive as this).

Just my two cents, but I'm sure you can make arguments for either side.

PS - it was just theoretical. I love Ruination

 

LOL, hey man, a bomber of Double B can certainly take its toll if the meal isn't heavy enough! Haha.

 

It's a rarity in these parts (KC metro). I can pick singles of whatever I want at Trader Joe's but their selection is... lacking. More often than not I have to choose between a 750 or a 4/6 pack. I don't mind bombers because my fiancee splits nearly everything with me.

 

This is why I always buy things like:

SN Hoptimum, SN Narwhal, Brooklyn BCS, Firestone Double Jack, Gonzo, ect.

Awesome Big Beers in 12oz bottles.

 

I tend to go for 4-packs as apposed to bomber format just because it's usually a much better price. What we really need is for 16oz cans to make the jump from 4-packs to sixers… hello Abrasive and Furious

 

I certainly buy my share of bombers/750s, and I used to be oblivious to the major price difference per ounce till someone here pointed it out. Now I can't help but feel like I am getting shafted every time I buy a large format bottle.

 

Heh, I'm actually surprised that people might buy a beer and hate it completely to the point they will not drink it. I'll drink a Miller Lite if it's all someone has to offer. I'll drink the other 5 bottles of a 6 pack I bought, even if it wasn't my favorite.

On topic, I don't mind a bomber I suppose if it's something new to try - I almost always split all my beer pretty much equally with my wife. So I have a drinking buddy there most of the time. Actually, I kind of hate 4 packs - some seem to be getting overly expensive. Though this isn't one of those examples per se, I do remember when Brooklyn Black Choco Stout came in a 6 pack at around $9-10. Then they put it in a 4 pack and luckily adjusted the price for the loss of beer... at first. Now the price seems to be back up closer to it's original 6 pack days. If they could afford to sell it at one price point before, what changed?

 

I usually buy bombers because I like to try new beer almost every time. Now however I'm getting into buying 4/6ers of my favs and the occasional bomber.

 

Last night I was pondering the bomber/750 vs. 12/16 oz. and I came up with a conclusion I haven't seen anywhere on this site. The consensus is that it's probably far fetched but could it be that breweries use bombers/750s to keep you from drinking directly from the bottle and force you to use a glass? After all, I have never seen someone drinking directly out of a bomber or a 750 and they're certainly not the size you would throw in a cooler with some ice at an outdoor event. Anybody else have the same thought but were afraid to express it cause they didn't want to get ridiculed?