Beer is Expensive

The worst part is breweries putting out a new beer and charging $20+ for a 4 pack.

So drop $20+ on a 4 pack of something that’s unknown or get something tried and true like a 12 pack of SN for ~$20 and/or a case of Genesee Oktoberfest for < $20.

 

I definitely have hit my 'tipping point'.

Just opting to spend less on beer, which these days, means buying even less with the increase in prices. It doesn't help that I have felt burned by a few breweries as of late (Anchorage, Toppling Goliath). Even locally, I've only been to my favorite breweries a couple times in the past several months, opting to visit other breweries even less.

 

Losing some weight at the moment, drinking water is definitively cheaper than NA beer. My taste hasn't been expensive generally though, often the €1-2 are as good as the €3-4. My main decision is being mostly content with the supplies of my supermarkets, around a 100 different, transport costs from abroad are high.

 

This. The one time I purchased an Equilibrium was a single can of MC2. I don’t remember the cost but my thought after drinking it was why the hell did I pay so much for an average IPA?!

 

While I can't speak to the specifics of every brewery mentioned in this thread, it seems to me that if one did a $/oz. comparison in a particular style, you'd find smaller and/or more recently-opened breweries trending towards the highest prices. Paying down the initial capital investment/investors can't be fun, and being small will never be the most cost-efficient way to make beer.

Outlier national hype breweries (who are generally also among the handful that are expanding rapidly at the moment themselves) notwithstanding, I'd think that explains the general sentiment of "why does 'tiny brewery with mediocre hazies/pastry stouts/kettle sours and unwarranted local buzz' charge so much while 'regional brewery that everyone raved about 15 years ago, but hasn't expanded in a while and has reliably OK offerings' charges less?

 

I think the worst part is breweries putting out a new beer for $20+ a 4 pack and me really enjoying it and then spending $20+ the next time they make a batch to find out it is no where as good as the first.

 

Yeah, but...isn't everything way more expensive in Alaska and Hawaii vs the mainland?

 

Agree. This too.

 

I was just chatting about this with a friend the other day - Pequod distributors just starting pumping some great breweries into Iowa for the first time (Blackstack, Equilibrium, Bearded Iris, Mortalis, Phase 3, Modist, Weldwerks, Other Half to name a few). I remember back when King Sue and other TG DIPA's started distro'ing in 4 packs for $18.99 which we thought was a bit ridiculous. We hadn't seen anything yet. Mortalis single can IPA's are $11.99, Blackstack are $8.99, and the rest are around the $7-8 single cans. These breweries have the right to charge whatever they want, but I can't see the market for these.

 

It’s all about finding that sweet spot between quality and quantity.

 

When I go to the L.Eclerc in Chinon there is now a local beer section, between Belgians and assorted imports. But most of the locals are still only 3 euros per 330. Still more expensive than Trappists, other Belgians, and your basic German choices. The high quality local craft brewery(Little Belgique) sells their beers for around 3 euros, but they don't sell in major stores so you have to search for them at smaller neighborhood stores or the local "park market" once a week.
In New Mexico beer has gone up a buck or so for the local sixers, but Santa Fe Brewing is still easily affordable and La Cumbre is still too expensive except for a special treat-$8 for a sixer of Happy Camper vs $13 for a 4 pack of Elevated IPA.

 

This ^. Pre pandemic these breweries could get away with it as mostly on site sales and this exclusivity and hype helped with the high prices. Pandemic forced a lot of these companies to distribute and sell in retail, but now that we are post pandemic, people aren’t willing to pay these prices to drink at home when these breweries offerings (Equilibrium, OH, Veil etc) are too easy to acquire as well. They need to go back to on site sales only or lower prices in retail.

 

I was very pleased when I visited a new local brewery in Loudon Co Virginia a few weeks ago (one of the wealthiest places in the country), and this brewery (Flying Aces), was selling a lot of their offerings in 12oz 6 pack cans for $12.99 each. They got a standing ovation from me for that pricing and format. Beers were pretty solid as well.

 

Some craft hype beer is overpriced for what it is some are worth the price tag imo. In the grand scheme of things purchasing beer is actually a cheaper hobby imo (purchasing within reason).

I could think of a handful of hobbies that get way more expensive.

 

This is the right perspective. If your beer goes up a few dollars per 4-6 pack I still think the price of beer isn't going to quite move the needle as much as other things in life. Your quantity of beer consumption is somewhat finite. Yeah, I admit it can be frustrating to shell out more for NEIPAs nowadays. But I'll deal with it. If the quality and reputation is there I'm willing to pay a higher price. All things considered, beer is still relatively cheap in my opinion. ...Now on the other hand, buying meat at the grocery store nowadays is far more alarming.

 

I agree with you. I think there is also a trick to finding tasty beers at good value instead of just going after the same beer or style. You don't have to spend a bunch to get a good beer.

Your not fuckin joking. The prices of quality meat and fish is ridiculous.

 

A week+ ago my wife asked me to buy a tuna steak at the supermarket. I was looking at the tuna and when I saw 30 bucks a pound I immediately thought to myself no f@#$ing way! The person behind the fish counter asked me if he could help me and I replied "I can't afford to buy your fish". I did go to the prepacked fish area and bought some farm raised salmon which was still pricey but much cheaper than 30 bucks a pound.

I did purchase a six-pack of beer on that trip (10 bucks).

You gotta set priorities, right?

Cheers!

 

What's weird I have found salmon, cod and trout from Aldi lately to be the best source of fish for me. Really nice fillets. Same for other meats their organic chicken, ground beef and pork is also on point. Sometimes bison. I got a angus roast in the instant pot atm. Was 12$ for 2.5lbs...

They usually have Wernesgüner pils a 4 pack of pint cans for 6.99 but they were out recently. I was disappointed