Beer is Expensive

While I do agree with your statement that craft beer is becoming too expensive, I also think it's worth pointing out that, when it comes to hype breweries like Other Half and Equilibrium, it's not just about exorbitant price, it's about hype level, too. Haze nerds were already willing to pay $20-$30 a four pack for these beers several years ago, but now that they're more readily available and accessible, they're not as cool as they once were, so on the juice bros and tickers hop (pun actually NOT intended, LOL!) to the next latest and hottest trend. Eventually, though, the metaphorical bubble will burst, and these breweries will be forced to either lower their prices or change productions levels, or something. I don't know.

 

Let me tell you about a little brewery named Anchorage…

 

Equilibrium is one of the most overrated haze breweries, imo. I paid for a $26 four pack (ONCE!) and I was like, "Eh, just tastes like any other normal hazy IPA to me" and then I don't think I ever bought an Equilibrium beer again.

EDIT: ....Hell, I even prefer Thin Man's offerings, and they're, something like half the price of Equilibrium?

 

Doesn’t sound like two things I’d enjoy mixed together but to each their own!

 

Hello!

 

Alchemist still sells Heady topper and Focal Banger for $13 a four pack. As long as I can get a world class beer on a working mans budget I am a happy beer drinker. Thank you Alchemist!

 

It would seem that you are not looking in the right places?

Some examples of local beers I purchased recently in six-packs:

• Victory Hop Devil IPA
• Sterling Pig Shoats Pilsner
• Sly Fox Oktoberfest
• Troegs Oktoberfest

If I changed my criterion of "recently" above I would have a much longer list of locally produced beers that I purchased in six-packs.

Cheers!

 

Are you buying those beer at the brewery?

Those beers are closer to 20 bucks a four-pack at my local beer retailers (and we only get periodic drops which make these beers well sought after when they do arrive).

Cheers!

 

All good. Thanks for answering. Let us know how the beer is when you open it.

Enjoy

 

Jack,

I do see those beers but not what I would call cheap. Maybe a case of Victory is under $40 but not by the six it’s not. I really enjoyed the Victory fest I had this year. I asked what the case price was. $41.xx plus tax. A few $ less than buying sixers but again, not cheap at all. These are cheaper than what I consider local, TH, F&M, Human Robot and on. I bought a case of 60 minute last month for $31.99. It was under a month old. Sale beer is my go to 90%+ times.

Enjoy

 

We all have our individual budgets.

I paid 11 bucks for the six-pack of Sly Fox Oktoberfest and I consider that very reasonable.

Those beers from Victory, Sly Fox, Troegs, Sterling Pig, are most definitely "local" and they are available in six-packs.

And yes Tired Hands, etc. are "local" too.

Cheers!

 

Everything is expensive. Inflation is a real thing. I still buy to numb the pain.

 

They're both over 20$/can here in Europe...

 

For a beer drinker like me who used to put away a lot of beer, being forced to (almost completely) quit for health reasons was like getting a no-show part time job. Did I just get another raise?

Seriously, though, sorry to hear that beer continues to get more expensive. I'm surprised that home brewing hasn't become the nation's most popular hobby by this point.

 

Don't look at beer prices, just like when buying gas these days. Essentials. But I've been buying less of both.

 

Just curious as to how you know Mortalis is using fresh fruit?

 

So what happens if people stop buying over priced beers? Do the brewers drop their prices and keep the same quality or do they drop their price and quality as they have to cut corners somewhere to keep up their margin? I hate to see high prices, but I would also hate to buy an iconic beer at some point and find out it has been watered down to keep the price lower. It’s going to be a fun ride to see how this shakes out. Maybe we are slowly learning how shitty affordable beer took over the country for a century.

 

Could be. Shipping tax (and retail premiums)

I paid $18/4-pack last year when it made it to NJ.

When I was in VT, the Alchemist beers were $13 in stores as well.

 

For me, the good beers are still usually worth it.

I'll pay for a Burial or other high-end local imperial stout and its worth paying 2X for that compared to Dragon's Milk which just isn't anywhere near as good. Same goes for a hazy. No offense to Sierra Nevada but I don't regret getting Other Half or something similar shipped (or picking up at my local bottle shop). The quality is just that much better.

I do keep my eye out for great beers that are a great value too. Stuff like Guiness Foreign Extra Stout and Duvel sit on grocery store shelves and are less than $15 for a 4-pack which is a great deal.