Founders Pricing

Before I crack a Centennial can from the 12 pack I purchased for $14.99 so I can sit and watch this sure-to-be Springer thread, Dark Penance is $10.99-12.99 everywhere except wherever you're buying it.

Okay, commence.

 

Well, it seems Founders surreptitiously updated the pricing of Big Lushious on their website to 14.99.

 

While I can't speak to the Backstage Series since I don't know the background on what goes into the beer for the Big Luscious ...I will say...their other limited releases are always very reasonable in my eyes. I have never had a problem dropping the cash for Old Curmudgeon, FBS, Harvest ale, BWB, Double Trouble.

While some of these are higher in price, I know the quality in beer I'm getting is next to none. But back to the Backstage series...Whether it be price, quality, non-BA...everyone has their opinions, so fire away.

 

The problem is that Big Lushious is going to cost 2-3x as much as those 4 packs you listed, and you're getting about half the volume of beer.

Here's what we know: "Big Lushious is a deep, rich stout that’s packed with flavor: roasted malts, all-natural dark chocolate, a subtle suggestion of burnt coffee grounds and a kiss of tart raspberries. At 7.8% ABV, it’s big, sumptuous and extravagant, but also balanced."

If I were to homebrew 5 gallons of an assumed "clone", it would cost, as a wildly high estimate, roughly $50 in ingredients including chocolate (cocoa nibs/powder), coffee beans, and fresh raspberries. That breaks down to about $1.95 per 750mL. Obviously Founders has overhead and has to make a profit, but with their bulk pricing, their cost is probably less than $1 per bottle. There's probably some aging time on the berries, but not much.

Point being that the ingredient cost isn't high and the cost of aging time isn't high, so we're all confused why the price is so high. A local brewery in my area just released a 7.6% chocolate raspberry porter bomber for $7. It's a great beer with a lot of flavor. I'm sure Founders will be better overall since they tend to nail the body of a beer, but I don't think that justifies another ~$10. Clearly there are a lot of people that have an issue with the price of this.

/analytic rant

 

Analyze the $/oz all you want, Backstage Beers are going to be priced at a premium no matter what the style of beer.

 

Bombers in general are priced to a premium. It's hard to knock Founders when Clown Shoes has beers at ~$18 in Michigan.

 

As someone once expressed to me, it's very hard to make the homebrew comparison. There are way too many other factors involved. Also i have a feeling they are using loads of raspberries in this new backstage brew. If anyone buys raspberries, they cost a lot of money, even in bulk. I'd say the cost of raspberries alone will be at least $0.50 per bottle, thats just to impart a slight raspberry flavor. They may be using an extract as well, so who knows. I'd say their cost per bottle will be a good bit higher than $1. Just the bottle/label cost and raspberries would be that much IMO. Then you factor in other ingredients, overhead, and all other factors involved in running the brew system in a major microbrewery. Just my opinion, i have no facts.

Plus they're Founders.. they can basically charge whatever they want.

 

I paid 13.99 for Dark Penance at my local shop and was shocked that it was so much for a 4 pack. It rang up as "Imperial Stout" so I thought it was just tagged wrong but I didn't feel like going through the pain of tracking down someone who could check. However it sounds like that may have been the correct price.

 

Founders suggests $11.99, so it's not too far off. Sounds like a slight markup was added by the distributor or retailer.

http://foundersbrewing.com/latest-news/2014/announcing-dark-penance-imperial-black-ipa/

 

holiday has it for 11.99. as far as clown shoes goes, good beer, way overpriced though. i know they dropped barrel prices a while ago to compete with michigan market, but dont' know if thats still the case. i haven't carried any of them because i felt they are overpriced personally.

 

Sounds like it is your shops. Do you shop at grocery stores or liquor stores for Founders? Meijer has Dark Penance for $10.99, Breakfast and Mosaic for $8.49, etc.

 

On Meijer, it depends on how they are set up...The one by me in Livonia does not carry a big selection...I believe the ones that carry the better selection are "special" type of meijer stores

 

If you think it costs too much and it isn't worth it, its simple. Don't buy it. There are plenty of people who do want to buy it at that price, and if there isn't it will just sit there. If it just sits there that will tell the company they are overcharging. I really don't think they are overcharging. Sometimes brewers increase their margins on specialty releases to make up money that they don't make on their regular beers that cost cheaper and have tighter margins for profit. Think of it this way, the money that you spend on the beer probably goes to them being able to produce more beer in the future.

 

^ TL;DR ?? ......

Don't buy beer you don't want, some sucker will eventually buy it, even if its so old its not funny. Also, you should buy crappy beer from "good" breweries in hopes they will someday in the future brew better beer again.

 

Really? Guess I didn't realize. I frequent the ones in Wixom, Brighton and Howell and they usually have the same selection. Prices are great but the seem to get releases later than other places.

 

Central + West Michigan Meijer stores, along with many Spartan stores, constantly have Founders regular line-up on sale for $8.49, with seasonal releases (Double Trouble, Rubaeus, Breakfast Stout, etc.) for $9.99. That, along with 12 packs of Centennial and 15 packs of All Day for $14.99, I find it damn near impossible to complain about paying more for their more limited releases...

 

Limited run, large format bottles are always expensive. These are not bottles that you buy for the value. Founders is not at all out of line when compared to other less limited bombers that are on the shelves here in state.

One thing we must consider when speaking of beer of a limited nature is opportunity cost. What are you giving up in order to brew this limited beer? Founders year round beers are their money makers, not their Backstage Series. In order to brew beers such as Big Lucious, Founders is giving up time, materials and fermentation space that could be used to pump out more beer that pays the bills. Chances are Founders is bypassing the opportunity to produce significantly more of a year round in order to produce a small run of a one off. I do not know who Founders budgets or what their books look like but at some point you need to account for the potential that is lost.

Beyond the Backstage Series, Founders four and six packs are priced extremely competitively. I really see no room for criticism on that front. $15 Dark Penance seems like a retailer/distributor mark up, not consistent with what I am seeing.

 

Double Trouble at $13 a 4-pack is "extremely competitive" ? When Dirt Wolf is offered year round at $9.99 a 4-pack (and tastes better) ?