Prairie Ales

I've been talking w/ friends about this for a month.

12 oz. bottles of the Farmhouse are going for $7.45 (apiece) at Downtown Wine and Spirits in Somerville.

I think I saw $16/6-packs at Liquor World in Cambridge.

That said, someone brought a bottle of the Prairie Hop to a tasting we had last week and it was one of the highlights. Great stuff, just more of a splurge beer, considering the $$.

 

Julio's: $11 for the 750ml bottles, $13 for the Standard six pack.

 

seen the prairie ale and prairie hop for $12-14 around the boston suburbs. 12 oz standard is around $3. Looking forward to try their sours or whatever they are - just hope the price isn't too prohibitive.

 

So why are the Standard 6-packs being broken up and sold at high mark-up? And 750s are ~$7 more in the city than Julios? Beers tend to be a little more expensive here but that seems excessive.

 

I can only speak for Maine but if it weren't for Shelton Brothers, there would be no Prairie Ales in Maine at all. It would cost the brewery $1000 per year simply to be registered in Maine, not to mention the $11 per label and Dept. of Agriculture fees. Not worth the time, money, and effort for a small brewery just to get a couple hundred (if that) cases per year into the state. If they come in under the Shelton portfolio it makes it possible. On top of that, Maine has some pretty high gallonage taxes and a mandatory recycling fee (not redemption). All that being said, to get a fresh 750 ml bottle or a six pack of Standard for $12.99 on the retail shelf is pretty good. The same goes for Jolly Pumpkin and Anchorage.

 

I've only seen 750s around the city and they've all been around $17. I'd love to try it but I'm just not gonna spend $17 on an unproven commodity. Now that I see it sells for $10 elsewhere I'm especially confused. It sucks because I'm pretty sure no one in the city is buying this stuff. It's always sitting on shelves because of the crazy price. I mean I bought Sucaba for $15

 

Looks like that $17 is isolated to one part of Mass.

 

I've discovered the cause of the high prices in the Boston area and have started to take the steps needed to fix it.

 

Care to share?

 

Different states, different taxes.

 

MA actually has one of the lowest beer taxes in the country. And that wouldn't explain the nearly $7 in price difference at shops throughout the state

 

so how does this explain the difference between prices outside boston and inside boston?

 

Different stores/distributors charging different markups.

 

If this fix would help lower the prices of other beer, it would be helpful for you to share it.

 

My experience with beer distribution tells me it's in my best interest to not say much about it.

 

I think you missed my point.

MyIronLung attributed the price discrepancy to "different states, different taxes." I was clarifying that two of the stores we're discussing are in the same state (MA).

 

Sorry, I meant to support your point. What I meant was as a retailer I can charge whatever I want for a beer, regardless of what other shops in the state charge. There are shops in our state known for charging 10% more than the rest. In that case, it doesn't have anything to do with taxes.