Doing Our Part to Bring Down Prices

The Bruery has people who spend thousands of dollars per year in their society clubs. I don't think they are going to be lowering their prices anytime soon.

Your theory reminds of a few years ago when gas prices were so high. Everyone said, "If we all refuse to buy gas on this day, they'll have to lower the price."

 

I love Cantillon, ergo I will pay the price to drink it. Leaving it on the shelf will not drive the price down, it will only leave it available to the next guy who comes in and purchases it, and in turn still spends the money causing no decrease in price and will either be grateful or call me an idiot. And both of those kinds of fellow BA's are here.

 

The Bruery, 3F, Lost Abbey etc... don't have unreasonable prices.

The market already works the way you suggest. If you think it is too expensive, don't buy it. Obviously there are enough people that think their beers are worth the price.

If you want the beer but don't want to pay the price they ask, tough cookies.

 

Prices have risen to the level they are currently at because there are plenty of people that will gladly pay them.
I seriously doubt that that will change.
I have always refused to pay more than I feel is fair, but that will never effect overall pricing.

 

I'll pay what it costs. It is a far throw for me before I start thinking about prices. When that happens I can't afford to drink the same way. If price limits me I'll drink what is in my price range.

 

Personally, I rarely go above $1 per ounce.

If I do, it is almost always for something I am trying for the first time.

The only two beers that I have gone over $1 per ounce for more than once are Avery's Tweak and Rumpkin.

 

How do all the "unreasonable price" people know those prices are unreasonable? Have they made it themselves? Do they have access to financial records? Just because there's a cheaper alternative doesn't mean ithe alternative is worth buying. I can find a cheaper fountain pen than the one I own but that doesn't make the cheaper pen write as well or fell as comfortable. I can get a cheaper seat on a flight to Australia, but do I really want to fly 15 hous or so in that seat?

 

Right now good beer sells. If we don't buy it someone will buy it. It is as simple as that. If we boycott someone else will buy it and sell it, trade it or drink it. If I want it and can afford it, I'm going to buy it.
That being said, some beers I wouldn't take at half price, and some beers I would pay 5x as much for.

 

No offense, but this is a lost cause. You may get 100 people to agree with you on BA, but people are obviously paying what the breweries are charging so they'll keep charging it.

 

It really depends on the beer. I paid somewhere around $30 for a 750 of A Deal With The Devil and, after drinking one last night, I'd gladly pay that amount again. And I've paid $10 for a 750 that I would never buy again for half that price. Sometimes you get what you pay for, sometimes you don't. Unfortunately you usually can't get a sample glass of a beer before committing to a full bottle.

And I think you mean two 375mls, not 350s...

 

This is silly. It's dependent on the style. I won't drop more than $15 for a bomber of IIPA, but I'll gladly spend $45+ on a barrel-aged wild or expertly-blended gueuze/lambic; BA stouts/barleywines/etc. are somewhere in between. There is no one-size-fits-all way of doing this given the vast difference in cost to produce different styles of beer. Further, unless one is in the industry, one has no idea the cost to produce any given beer, let alone all the overhead costs, taxes, distribution, etc.

As I said in the other thread, yes, some things are overpriced, and perhaps we shouldn't be supporting those practices. It's up to you to decide for yourself what defines that line. No matter how you try to frame it, this isn't for "the greater good;" people are willing to pay different things, and it's not for you to decide what each of us can/will spend our money on.

You can also look at it from an economic perspective: given that these things still draw lines and sell out (even really highly priced things like SR-71 at $25/bottle or Ann at $40, not to mention Bruery's reserve societies), plus the obvious and potentially growing secondary market, one can easily discern that per economics (with my admittedly simple understanding of them), these beers are actually under-priced and will be until they reach a price ceiling in which they sit.

 

I'll pay up to $40. I have bought around 10 bottles that were $30 and up and only regret one becuase I found it for $22 the next day. I really don't see why this is such a big problem. If you don't like it don't buy it. More for me! But yet people will go into a bar and pay $10 for a glass and not question it... (before tax&tip even)

 

So over these price threads. If it's something I really want, I'm paying that price. Unfortunately the breweries don't set the retail prices, the bottle shops do. If you don't like it or can't afford it, don't buy it. Nothing is going to change. Good beer costs money, plain and simple.

 

Amen. I'm thinking these guys should take up soda pop as a hobby. I am the poorest graduate student there is and I am the only one that doesn't complain about prices. It is, what it is.

 

Um, last time I checked, when Lost Abbey releases a beer for $40, it is them setting the price not a bottle shop. I personally don't like the feeling of being price gouged, I think many would agree that it is discourteous to the loyal customers who have been going to that brewery on a consistent basis and helped them to achieve success in the market. I personally am not a millionaire so money is a priority in my life.

 

I typically have about a 75 cents per ounce limit (and that's very high for me), but I've made a number of exceptions. First, that's only for bottles, I'll pay much more for beer on draft like we all do.

I did pay $20 for a bottle of Ballad of Minnie Quay, which is about $.91/oz, but that's an exception due to the fact it's almost a ghost (less than 500 cases sent to Michigan, never to be seen again). I also paid on two occasions $30 and then $40 for BC Vanilla Rye, mostly because it's a ghost I wanted to try (the second was for a friend who wanted one) and will never have a chance to try again). I also paid $10/12oz for Kuhnhenn Big Tony's. All in all, I only pay these prices for those ghost beers, I'd never do it for a regular release like KBS or normal BCBS.

 

When I reach the point of exhaustion from seeking stuff out to try that is different, I will probably fall back and go with things I truly like that are reasonably priced. Went out for pizza tonite at Mellow Mushroom to try some new stuff they had and most had blown earlier during the day. Ended up with a Hop Stoopid, have had it and rated it before, but man it was great tonite. Had to go bump my rating. Don't really know how much longer I can hide by $$ beer purchases

 

there will always be a market for those who drink the beer equivalent of Ferraris and Lamborghinis and those who will drink Chevy and Ford.

 

I need the under $10 option