Poll: Should a low ABV beer (<4.5%) be cost less to the consumer than moderate to high ABV beers?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Ranbot, Aug 23, 2014.

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Should a low ABV craft beer (<4.5%) cost less to the consumer than a moderate/high ABV craft beer?

  1. Low ABV beers should be significantly cheaper

    13.7%
  2. Low ABV beers should be slightly cheaper

    48.8%
  3. Low ABV beers should be the same price as higher ABV beers

    15.8%
  4. Low ABV beers should be more expensive.

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  5. I drink lots of lambics and geuze so this doesn't matter to me

    6.9%
  6. Other

    14.8%
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  1. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,274) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    In my brewing experience it is not only true, but a rule with all other costs being equal.
     
    Mouserat and cavedave like this.
  2. FinchSCF

    FinchSCF Initiate (0) Aug 22, 2013 Michigan

    To everyone buzzing about the cost of a lower ABV beer, what I think is important to understand is when ingredients are bought in the amount that they are, the wholesale cost is very low and only shifts with the quantity ordered. I understand as a homebrewer that when I have to add more ingredients (especially hops!) it jacks up the cost on my batch but that disparity is a lot smaller at the scale that breweries purchase ingredients at in wholesale. That being said, the list of non-shifting costs listed above is the vast majority of the cost. For a brewery like Founders, the cost of materials in making All Day might be very close to Imperial Stout. So again, that's where I think some of the breweries lowering the price of their session beers might be working their margins, because they likely aren't lowering the price based on the ingredients.
     
  3. michman

    michman Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2005 Illinois

    This
     
  4. cavedave

    cavedave Grand Pooh-Bah (4,145) Mar 12, 2009 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Please stop confusing this issue with logic and facts.:slight_smile:

    I much prefer the mental rumbles caused by folks' misinterpretations of values, and failures of common sense in this thread, thank you.
     
    SFACRKnight likes this.
  5. rozzom

    rozzom Pooh-Bah (2,534) Jan 22, 2011 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Which is totally reasonable. But by that logic (which seems to be fairly prevalent in this thread), assuming there are no barrels, or particularly expensive hops / extra ingredients involved (purely just more of the same [or similarly priced] ingredients), a brewery's standard DIPA, IPA and APA should cost the same. But in reality a lot of breweries charge more for the DIPA. Either have the three priced on a sliding scale, or have them priced the same, but the current situation in a lot of cases, is best of both worlds for the brewer.
     
  6. jageraholic

    jageraholic Maven (1,378) Sep 16, 2009 Massachusetts
    Trader

    I think the cost of beer should be based on the cost of the materials that go into the beer, and certain lower ABV beers use less ingredients so that should show up in the cost for the consumer.
     
  7. russpowell

    russpowell Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,256) May 24, 2005 Arkansas
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Feel free to walk away, because the topic will surface again...
     
    #107 russpowell, Aug 26, 2014
    Last edited: Aug 26, 2014
    doowhat likes this.
  8. Kaisermatt

    Kaisermatt Initiate (0) Jun 6, 2011 Ohio

    If a beer has the word "session" on it I expect it to be cheaper. To me "session" means they intend you to drink more of the beer in the same period of time. If it costs them the same amount, or close to the same amount, as it does to make an 8%+ beer the brewery is making a lot more overall profit if the price per oz is similar.
     
    Ranbot likes this.
  9. russpowell

    russpowell Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,256) May 24, 2005 Arkansas
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I like the session IPAs, but if I only have money for one sixer , I will probably go value for $ if I feel they are equal beers taste-wise. I think most BAs can make the distinction between different styles & brewing methods. I could be wrong, I don't come into these discussions thinking I'm the smartest guy in the room. I'm here to discuss not to be "right"
     
  10. Andrew041180

    Andrew041180 Initiate (0) Mar 15, 2013 Massachusetts

    Yes.
     
  11. AnalogErik

    AnalogErik Initiate (0) Jul 23, 2013 Minnesota

    2014 BMW M6's should cost as much as 2002 Kia Sephias
     
    SFACRKnight likes this.
  12. Andrew041180

    Andrew041180 Initiate (0) Mar 15, 2013 Massachusetts

    If you say so.
     
  13. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,274) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    So you mean to tell me a beer that uses significantly less hops and grain, spends less time in the fermenter, and requires less manpower to deal with (as it WILL spend less time in the fermenter) should cost the same as it's larger abv brethren? My guess is, you don't brew.
     
    Mouserat likes this.
  14. teraflx

    teraflx Initiate (0) Feb 4, 2013 Arizona

    I brew my own beer and its pretty obvious that if you use less ingredients, the overall cost to produce is less so in the long run I do feel that lower ABV beers should be a little cheaper. Not a ton though cause labor and rent etc is still the same. Maybe a $1 cheaper or so on a 6 pack is what I feel is fair.
     
    russpowell likes this.
  15. 071184

    071184 Initiate (0) Sep 10, 2013 Texas

    Perhaps he doesn't. But I am in the industry. I can assure you that our IPA, coming in at 7.5% ABV costs us a lot more to make than our RIS coming in at 9.9%. The Russian uses more ingredients as whole, as it is a double mash beer; however, the IPA uses more EXPENSIVE ingredients because of the hop varieties we utilize and uses more labor due to the several hop additions. Therefore, it is certainly not a "rule" or fact" that higher ABV beers cost more to make. Additionally, you mentioned tank time/space as an additional cost for higher ABV beers; yet using this logic, lower ABV lagers that take twice as long to ferment (vs. a higher ABV ale) should cost more than a barley wine or Imperial, not to mention that they have additional costs/ labor with processes like active filtration, etc...
     
    Ranbot likes this.
  16. AnalogErik

    AnalogErik Initiate (0) Jul 23, 2013 Minnesota

    PRICE EQUALITY OR DEATH!

    (its so easy)
     
  17. Ranbot

    Ranbot Pooh-Bah (2,389) Nov 27, 2006 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Homebrewing is not equivalent production brewing.
     
    StuartCarter likes this.
  18. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,274) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    So lets compare an IPA no a session IPA, less grains as the grain bill is around half of what's needed for a traditional American IPA. The amount of hops needed for the desired IBU or BU:GU ratio is also less. Less sugar in the wort means better hop utilization as well, so we are looking at more of a curve than a linear drop in the amount of hops needed to achieve a session IPA. I understand that costs average out across a brewers portfolio of beers, but how can a brewer honestly expect a consumer to pay the same price and expect them to sell?
     
  19. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    True. You are not selling a product in one, and doing so to make a profit the other.
     
  20. CaptJackHarkness

    CaptJackHarkness Pundit (919) Aug 18, 2011 New York

    I vote other? It is irrelevant!!
     
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