Trade-Off $ for Quality

Agreed. There's some beer that's really hyped/expensive and just isn't worth the price tag. This is accentuated by #1 where there's a lot of really good beers out there for a very reasonable price (see: Lagunitas, Sierra Nevada).

 

# 1 and # 3 work. Find a good bottle shop ,a bar with craft beer flights to sample, and go on brewery tours. You can use # 2 for your non-craft beer drinkers when you're hosting .

 

I think his/her 3 points were three options for drinking on the cheap

so option 4 of drinking expensive, bad beer probably isn't a desirable option

 

I guess my strategy would be 3.

I don't buy sours(not my thing), don't load up on barrel aged stouts(like bourbon county) or trade, so my level of consumption hasn't been a price concern for me yet.

 

What are you're 6 go to beers ? Enjoy them.

 

Interesting, around here the SN sixers cost more per bottle and the 12 packs are cheaper by a decent margin. The 12 packs run $14-16 and the sixers go for $9-11 non-sale. Sometimes with sales the sixers come out a bit cheaper, but not normally.

 

Seeing how the term used in option 1 is higher up on the superlative ladder than option 3, I will go with option 1.

 

Mostly #1, #2 during football season #3 more so in the cooler months of the year when I break out my cellared beers

 

I have to say that this is really a question about where a person shops for beer. The question is irrelevant if you are buying from a great retailer, as great beer does not necessarily mean expensive beer. I know that some folks may feel that they do not have a choice, but if you do not shop around and find a great shop, you force these choices on yourself.

So many retailers work so hard to stand out and carry the best possible selection, I do not believe that folks are inevitably forced to choose quantity vs. quality.

 

@cujocon The question doesn't make sense because you have not defined what quality means in this context, but I will assume you mean quality = what you think tastes good.

To me quality relates to the quality assurance and control practices of a brewery to ensure a consistent product without defects. Quality can be independent of whether or not I like the beer.

 

And we found the Rouge fan! (I kid, I kid)


Usually start a session with a good, more expensive offering and then move onto good, albeit less expensive beers throughout the evening. Buying less and less bombers has also significantly impacted my monthly 'hobby' expenses.

 

Homebrew!

 

I think this question is a more important one for brewpub drinking than what you buy in the store and take home. Price plays a huge part for me in considering whether I want to go to a brewpub or craft bar. For example, a brewery just opened up a 5 minute walk from my house called Braxton Brewing. Drafts are $5.50 and 64 oz growler fills are $12. These prices are close to the prices of other local breweries such as Rhinegeist (10 minute drive), Madtree (15 minute drive).

My frustration is that Braxton Brewing doesn't make as good of a beer. None of their beers are "bad" per se but they certainly aren't good as the beers available at the craft bars that are also within a 5 minute walk. If Braxton Brewing had a $2.50 happy hour and $3.50 pints of the flagship stuff all the time, I'd probably be a regular. But, because I'm getting $3 beer at a $5.50 price, I've pretty much just decided to stay away.

For me, it all comes down to the value of the liquid in the glass. If I order a Bud Light and pay $1, I'm not mad that it tastes like a $1 beer. If I order a $5 beer and get Two Hearted, I'm cool with that, great beer. If I decide to go crazy and get a $30 bomber and I get Upland Kiwi Sour, YOLO. My problem is when I get beer that isn't worth the money and that causes me to avoid certain bars and brewpubs.

 

I tend to drink better beer and less of it. I always enjoy having some cheaper but still good beer in my fridge when I don't want to think about crafting my drinking lineup too much.

For that, Sierra Nevada is really tough to beat. Their 24 oz bottles of Torpedo can provide for a nice weeknight evening, at $3.30 in my area. Summit Saga IPA is a good bet too.

 

When I was in a rut I got creative. It was the summer so I mixed BMC with lemonade, home made shandy. good times.

 

I drink Green Flash West Coast most often at $10.99 a 4 pack, so $2.75 a beer. I discover the mix 8 pack with the Double Sout and Imperial Red and like those also, so that got me down to $2.25 a beer. I never drink the same beer twice in a night, so I always have many options. I do not purchase cheap beer, it just doesn't taste good to me, so I don't purchase. A 12 pack of Sierra Torpedo or there mix pack is cheap for me at $13 a great deal. Expensive hobbie, but I love it!

 

shit, I only last like 4-5

 

I learned how to brew my own beer. I can brew really good stuff that falls in the under $9 a six price point.

 

For me this is difficult, turns out that what I thoroughly enjoy happens to be either be limited release, so moderately priced, or just expensive, so puts me in a dilemma. Sometimes I prefer going quantity/quality over just plain quality and vice versa. However, there are days when I just want a nice cold Dos XX, regardless of what it may be rated. I think it's up to your own preference, do what you enjoy and don't go with whatever trends others may be following. Can't we all just enjoy beer?!

 

I didn't get into craft to drink on the cheap