Lifehacker: Why You Should Avoid Craft Beer In Big Bottles

I tend to prefer the taste of most hoppy beers in a 22 oz bottle format over a 12 oz bottle. It could likely be attributed it to the reduced surface area of beer in contact with air/volume of beer. When I drink a bomber of a IPA versus a 12 oz bottle I notice that the flavor is much smoother and the hops are more vibrant, which makes the increase cost per oz worth it to me for many beers (Double Jack, Scuplin, etc.). However if a beer is also available in a can it is a toss up for me between the taste out of a 22oz bottle and 12/16oz can.

 

I generally hate the format. It feels lazy (easy to bottle/easy to mark up. It reeks of Big beer antics imho. Price gauging anyone??)

I want to thank Oskar Blues Ten Fidy, BP GF Sculpin, and Stone for its Xocoveza & Enjoy By in 4/6 pack formats. Even SN with its Narwhal.

Spending less to get less is an interesting concept this day in age with Costco and Sam Clubs everywhere. Reality is, not everyone is about "value" when you have to spend 2x to get 3x.

Someone brought it up in here prior. Lots of places are breaking up sixers and four pack seasonals and offering them for even cheaper as singles. Say Hotbox by OB was $17/four pack. Singles run about $5. That's a nice one time try from my p.o.v. That amounts to about a $9/bomber, a bomber I may have passed on initially. Four pack to bomber price would be closer to $8. My math is fuzzy, but you'd essentially be spending $12 more to get a savings of about ~$3. So I can appreciate the lower price at times.


It's an odd problem for breweries. I've seen many people pass on Xocoveza @ $17/sixer. But buy it by the truck load at $9/bomber. It's a $5/bomber equivalent when spending just $8 more. I've seen Enjoy by get broken up into singles for $3.50/12 oz. single, and people still buying the $9/bomber.

Sometimes you just have to say, Consumers are stupid, and breweries aren't in the business to NOT make money.

 

I have no problem with bombers but life would be perfect if everything was available in pints

 

Bigger and better releases are in bombers so I don't give a shit if I pay more. That's the market.

 

You, sir, are the customer about whom brewers dream.

 

If I have to buy a bomber to try something I'm fine with that - it's just the way it is. I know the math makes sense to buy a 6 pack over a bomber, but if the 12 oz bottles aren't available as singles sometimes I'll buy the slightly more expensive bomber because I don't want 6 (Enjoy By comes to mind, I always want it when it comes out but sometimes don't want to drop $15 on 6 if I can drop $6 on a bomber - convenience trumps bad math).

If there's a beer I'm excited to try I'd grab 2 12oz bottles/cans over a bomber any day, but I'll often grab a bomber over a 6 pack unless I know I want all 6 of those.

 

I usually only opt for a bomber if a) It's the only packaging available or b) If I want to try a certain beer and don't want to buy a 6-pack and risk not liking it.

 

i really wish Maine Beer Co. would stop bombing their beers.... i would purchase their other great offerings besides Lunch & Dinner more often.

 

Year round SN bombers are $2.99 at my local store, sixers are either $8.99 or 9.99, 12 packs are $14-17 (depending on the week, always 'on sale'). Bombers are pretty much in line with six pack prices.

 

12oz = not enough volume (unless it's a HUGE beer)
16oz = perfect volume, perfect money.
16oz cans = even more perfect.
22oz bombers = too much money.
750ml bottles = depends on brewery, mostly too much money though.

 

If it's available in 12 or 16s, I'll go with one of those rather than a bomber for a new beer I'm "unsure" of. If I want it, and it's bomber only, then I'll buy it.

 

Because I rarely drink more than one of the same thing....

 

Shit, next we are going to find out that gas is more expensive on the interstate.

 

This and more stories from the latest issue of No Shit Weekly.

 

Can't boot up the article at work. Was it written by John Madden?

 

I hate 6 packs. And four packs. I don't want that much of anything.

Until then, individual bottles. This usually means bombers.

Also, as a homebrewer, I save commercial bombers and re-use them, cutting my costs way down.

Also, what a non-article. Geez. I know the internet is hungry for content, but the content should have some content, you know?

 

Bombers are definitely a more expensive format. I prefer more smaller bottles, but if it only comes in bomber I'll still buy it. I like the under $10 bombers best.

 

I love bombers, especially when my wife says I can only have "one beer" a night.

 

I often avoid buying bombers unless the beer is one I absolutely want to try. Even then, I don't drink them very often as you have to finish the thing in one night, and usually I have to get up early the next morning.

 

Hate bombers, 750s. Too much of a commitment. I avoid them as much as possible. It would be different if I consistently had someone to share with.

The pint can is the best. Night Shift, Against the Grain - thanks