Let's Compare Craft Beer Prices in 2012

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by thatbentleyguy, Aug 28, 2012.

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  1. thatbentleyguy

    thatbentleyguy Initiate (0) Jun 11, 2012 Massachusetts

    I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has noticed a steep spike in craft beer prices over the last half decade, with an unnerving 2011-2012 spike. My perspective is from Massachusetts, where prices are high for just about everything. I invite others from MA or elsewhere to compare prices.

    Examples:
    1) Old Rasputin 4 pack- $8.99, jumped to $11.99 (Whole Foods) since early 2011 - similarly Dogfish Head 90-minute 4packs, same price jump ($9.99 increased to $11.99).
    2) Long Trail Double Bag 6 pack - $7.49 to $8.99 or $9.49 since early 2011. Similarly, even Sam Adams clocks in at $8.99 to $9.49 now.
    3) 22 oz bombers in general - low end at $3.75 - $3.99 (Berkshire Brewing Co), high end often upward of $7.99 (Wormtown, Pretty Things, Great Divide)
    4) In general, 6-packs that were $7.99 to $9.99 up until 2011 or so, now start at $10.99-11.99.

    Does anyone have good explanations for why this is? It's being very successful at pushing me into homebrewing, at least, if nothing else!

    Bar prices are a whole other animal, but the going rate in Boston or trendy micro-town Northampton in many bars is $7+ per craft pint (or 12 oz if >7% abv)...

    As recently as 2010 I was in the PNW, where bombers go for ~$3.50 - $5.00, there was always a regional craft 6-pack hanging around for $6.99 or so, and at happy hour you could get a micro craft pint for $2-3, while the starting price in MA is about $5.50. What gives? Does anyone know the going rate for craft beer on the W coast currently, esp OR & WA, and including Alaska (some of the cheapest beer prices I've ever seen, oddly - $5.99-$7.99 going rate in 2008 for W. coast sixpacks - $3-6/bomber, from Midnight Sun and other great local producers) ?

    I respect the industry and the need to make money, but just wondering how much we're starting to be had, especially here in New England!
     
    #1 thatbentleyguy, Aug 28, 2012
  2. Bay01

    Bay01 Initiate (0) Nov 19, 2008 Illinois

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    #2 Bay01, Aug 28, 2012
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  3. tjensen3618

    tjensen3618 Maven (1,391) Mar 23, 2008 California

    Beleive it or not, last Friday at Total Wine I bought a pack of Old Rasptutin for $6.99 and a 6 pack of Stone IPA for $7.99. I also had the $1 off coupon, which effectively made them $5.99 and $6.99 respectively.
    I was pretty happy with that.

    There are however a bunch of newer breweries who don't offer their beers in either 6 or 4 packs, but instead go for the $5+ bomber, even for some of their more mundane offerings. I try to avoid breweries like that for the most part.
     
    #3 tjensen3618, Aug 28, 2012
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  4. nrs207

    nrs207 Initiate (0) Sep 8, 2011 Pennsylvania

    Sounds like you guys need to come to PA. I literally haven't seen a 6 pack for under 10 bucks of anything craft. Stone IPA for 7.99, try 12.99. Sam Adams 6 packs 10.49. It's a joke. Probably why I only buy special release beers now. At least I can convince myself that it's only out every once in a while, so it's special lol. Sometimes our prices aren't ridiculous for bombers since those are just high everywhere, but 6 packs always.
     
    #4 nrs207, Aug 28, 2012
  5. jivex5k

    jivex5k Initiate (0) Apr 13, 2011 Florida

    Yeah Whole Foods seems like a ripoff most of the time.
    I can get Rasputin for 8.99 at TW, damn wish it was 6.99 that would be awesome.
    CCB Good Gourd 750 - $12
    Stone IPA I think is 7.99 here, stone is usually cheap which is great cuz it's awesome beer.
     
    #5 jivex5k, Aug 28, 2012
  6. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    If you're looking for an explanation - it's Economics 101 - supply and demand. And Economics 102 - hype.
     
    #6 otispdriftwood, Aug 28, 2012
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  7. brewbetter

    brewbetter Initiate (0) Jun 2, 2012 Nauru

    I like this thread. I'd be curious how specific beers have increased in price over the years.

    prices around me are:
    Rasputin - $8.99/4pk
    90 Minute - $9.99/4pk
    Double Bag - $6.99/6pk
    Two Hearted - $9.49/6pk
    Stone IPA - $9.99/6pk
    Torpedo - $12.99/12pk

    California just has insanely great pricing, I think they get torpedo 12pk for under $10.
     
    #7 brewbetter, Aug 28, 2012
  8. jamvt

    jamvt Savant (1,150) Aug 5, 2005 Massachusetts
    Trader

    although it seems like beer prices have increased significantly in the last decade, you have to look at a larger time frame of CPI over the last 40 years. beer pricing in general has been 30% below the consumer price index. the recent above-inflation price increases still have not caught up to historical inflation rates.

    ytd craft pricing is up 1.2%, so still below the level of inflation, up 68 cents per case.
     
    #8 jamvt, Aug 28, 2012
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  9. SteelersX

    SteelersX Savant (1,130) Jan 30, 2011 New York
    Trader

    I think the worst price increase came from Green Flash which is a bummer because I used to buy their beer all the time.
     
    #9 SteelersX, Aug 28, 2012
  10. thatbentleyguy

    thatbentleyguy Initiate (0) Jun 11, 2012 Massachusetts

    Surprisingly, Whole Foods (specifically the one in Hadley, MA) was one of the cheaper places for craft beer in my area over the last 5 years, but not anymore!

    Brewpubs are a good place to get reasonably priced suds. Near me, the People's Pint (Greenfield, MA) has held steady at $3.80/pint since 2004, McNeill's Brewery (Brattleboro, VT) used to be $3-3.50/pint until 2009 or so, but finally upped their brews to a more "market" rate of $5-6/pint. Most brewpubs I've been to lately hold steady at ~$4-$5/pint in MA, which is nice.

    Beer bar prices are typically up in the stratosphere ($6.50-10/pint for excellent, if fairly common, craft beers) in Massachusetts, with The Moan & Dove, Dirty Truth, Bukowski's, and Redbones, being a few leading the pack in that regard in W. MA and E. MA, respectively. I'm lucky to have a spoiled (?) perspective that it doesn't need to be that way, thanks to a wonderful local beer bar near here in W. Central Podunk, MA (Athol) called the Blind Pig. Carefully sourced beer without the insane markup, for everything from Maine Beer Co, to Slumbrew, to Cambridge Brewing Co, to Jack's Abby, to Pretty Things, to Element - some of New England's best - for $4.50-5/pint.

    Can anyone explain the cheap prices I took for granted in Anchorage AK? e.g. $4.50 bombers of Stone Ruination? I'm at a loss.

    Bay01's graph is pretty telling, as are the other economically-based explanations (esp. "hype!"). tjensen - sounds like prices are holding nicely reasonable out in CA - those are in line with what I'm recalling - and I agree with you that I also try to avoid the new breweries that go for the $6+ bomber, but that's pretty much all that's on the shelves recently here in the NE! And nrs207, I feel for you re: PA!

    One heartbreaking spike of an alltime favorite - Rogue XS I2PA - used to be available in MA in 4-packs (12 oz) for under $10 (2003-2007 roughly?). Disappeared for years then finally reappeared recently here (similar to a sasquatch sighting, in Keene NH) in 7 oz bottles for $6.50 each!! More frequent recent sightings - now in a 750 ml ceramic for upwards of $20/bottle! Guess that'll be a once/year treat from now on.
     
    #10 thatbentleyguy, Aug 28, 2012
  11. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    I stopped buying Green Flash WCIPA when they went to a 4-pack. Now, it looks like they were just the tip of the iceberg since many others have followed suit. And I had forgotten how good it was until I had one on draft. Since it doesn't seem to be overpriced relative to other beers now, I may have to reverse my decision and buy it again.
     
    #11 otispdriftwood, Aug 28, 2012
  12. jamvt

    jamvt Savant (1,150) Aug 5, 2005 Massachusetts
    Trader

    i'll pick up a fresh 4pk on occasion now that it was bottled on dates. tough to get pick it up often when i drive by the alchemist on a monthly basis.
     
    #12 jamvt, Aug 28, 2012
  13. ThisWangsChung

    ThisWangsChung Pooh-Bah (2,988) Oct 15, 2011 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah

    Planned on getting the SN beer camp this weekend - until I saw that it was $22.99. The same place offered a 12 pack of Boston Lager for $18.99.
     
    #13 ThisWangsChung, Aug 28, 2012
  14. UCLABrewN84

    UCLABrewN84 Initiate (0) Mar 18, 2010 California

    I love those coupons.
     
    #14 UCLABrewN84, Aug 29, 2012
  15. BearsOnAcid

    BearsOnAcid Pooh-Bah (2,239) Mar 17, 2009 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah

    Beer pricing around here doesnt even make sense to me anymore. It's like people are just charging whatever they want for some crap they put in a bottle. Barely anyone does six packs. Im pretty sick of seeing every new brewery rolling out with bombers or 750s.
     
    #15 BearsOnAcid, Aug 29, 2012
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  16. SammyJaxxxx

    SammyJaxxxx Initiate (0) Feb 23, 2012 New Jersey

    I got the Beer Camp yesterday for $16.99.
     
    #16 SammyJaxxxx, Aug 29, 2012
  17. ThisWangsChung

    ThisWangsChung Pooh-Bah (2,988) Oct 15, 2011 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah

    Yeah. This place is pretty bad in terms of gouging on craft beer.
     
    #17 ThisWangsChung, Aug 29, 2012
  18. litheum94

    litheum94 Initiate (0) Dec 29, 2008 California

    $22.99!?! Holy Jeebus. I balked at $16.99, only because I knew it would probably go on sale in my area eventually.
     
    #18 litheum94, Aug 29, 2012
  19. SteelersX

    SteelersX Savant (1,130) Jan 30, 2011 New York
    Trader

    It sucks that the brewery changed our perception of value. It's still over priced but now it's just one in a sea of overpriced beers so it seems normal.
     
    #19 SteelersX, Aug 29, 2012
  20. mychalg9

    mychalg9 Pooh-Bah (2,123) Apr 8, 2010 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    Beer Camp in NW Chicago suburbs was $19.99
     
    #20 mychalg9, Aug 29, 2012
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