Does price matter?

I think you're underestimating brand loyalty among BMC drinkers, OP. The differences in taste in those beers is minimal, which is why those big companies spend so much money on their #brand to get and keep customers. It's obviously anecdotal, but I've met many people who primarily drink Bud Light, Miller Lite, Bud...and will only drink something else when their favorite is not available and will not be thrilled about it.

As for price point, I'm with the people above who make personal value to price point decisions. I'm more than willing to pay top dollar for something I know or think I'll love. I also do it on styles, but not due to cost of making a certain beer (people on this site put way too strong a relation to ABV and price point, but I digress) so much as the fact that for less money I can buy other interpretations of the style that are just as enjoyable if not more.

 

I move every couple years and travel a lot, and usually buy local. I don't pay a lot for something far away...there's just too much good beer in the world. For instance, I'll get a case of Westy 12 when I'm there next month at 2 euros a bottle, but would never pay for it back home in the USA. That means I miss out on great DIPAs while in London, but more than had my share when I lived in Cali.

 

As I am relatively new to this compared to a lot of the other posters, I tend to buy new stuff regardless of price. There is a lot of new stuff out there, which I don't think this is the healthiest approach to my wallet, but is fun. Once I've tried it, price does play a factor into it. I'm willing to pay more than I normally would for the stuff I like(damn you Espresso Oak Aged Yeti!).

 

I find the thought of not paying a certain price for a bomber, but then waiting just to pay a much higher markup for it on draft hilarious. From a value standpoint even the most expensive bomber would have to be even more expensive to rival bar prices.

I buy what I want that I can afford. The price itself doesn't matter to me. That said, the majority of people want cheap beer to drink a lot of. Another reason BMC beers are tops.

 

It's actually pretty reasonable -- either I drop $20 for a bomber that I have no intention of finishing myself, or I pay $8-$10 for a 10oz pour at a bar. Cost per ounce is almost the same, and I've got $10 more to spend on other beer. Personal utility maximized.

For "lower price" bombers in, say, the $10 range, I'll either occasionally buy one, knowing it'll be shared with a friend, or abstain altogether.

Sure, I may "miss out" on a particular beer, but sometimes it's about principle

 

When the cost-per-ounce-of-alcohol exceeds $4.00, which in my state liquor store is getting into decent-Scotch territory, I just can't bring myself to the point of purchasing.

 

If it's something I've never had, I don't want to drop a lot on 22 ounces of it. If I enjoy it at a bar, where I'm already resigned to paying bar markup, I'll remember it and maybe have another portion of it smaller than 22 ounces again later should it come back around. I'm certainly not going to sit at the bar and order pour after pour of it until I've bought a bomber or more of the same beer.

 

yes there is: a Burery bomber at 25 bucks versus some 6 buck bomber is A HUGE difference.

for us that can drink 10 six packs a month an 11 bucks a sixer is a deal break versus a 7 to 8 buck sixer. Its called fixed income.

 

"most brands" - which I'd agree with. You exclude a couple of specific breweries, and take out things like barrel-aged limited/one-offs etc, most beers fall into a relatively tight pricing range.

 

oh I can think of many more, just visit a Total wine store.

besides a dollar or two is a big deal.

 

There's two sides to that, though. What if someone balks at a $30 bomber, but has a small glass of it for $7 then realizes they're thankful they didn't drop the whole $30?

 

A dollar or two is a big deal for a lot of people, I agree. But compared to other types of alcohol, there's generally a tighter price range among beers.

 

If I really want something, price does not matter.

 

true and your right but Sam adams sells more than Anchor and its usually a buck or so diff.

 

It's not necessarily the size of the price tag, it's how you use it.

 

Yes and no. If we're talking what I buy on a weekly basis, yes, because I'm not going to drop $20-30 every week on a 4-pack/bomber of something like BCBS. However, if we're talking about price mattering to me in the grand scheme of things, not really. If BCBS Prop jumps up to $70 MSRP per bottle, I'll probably only buy one a year, but in general I'm willing to pay whatever a brewery charges, if the beer is good enough. Just picked up a 4-pack of Abrasive for $17, which, while steep, is worth it for the caliber of beer I got.

At the end of the day, I'm willing to pay a little more if the beer is better than those cheaper than it. My wallet isn't necessarily happy, but my mouth tends to thank me.

 

Yes, I look at price vs quality. I've said it before mikkeler and Evil twin are not worth the price and I believe southern tier is starting to join that list (helles for $12 com'on man). I do pay more for some beers though but it has to be worth it.

 

The Bruery is a 750, and a bomber is not so adjust the price just a bit. Now compare that to the lowest price and highest price in any other alcohol category. It's outrageous how small the variance is with beer.

 

price is a big factor but I did splurge 20$ for barrel aged Bigfoot

 

well prices have change but used to be Saision by dupont was 7 to 8 bucks and the bruery stuff and others were north of 20 bucks. so yes the ranges can be low, but they can be high as well....