Taproom pour sizes and pricing.

I like the different sizes. Matter of fact, I might order a 16 oz. Pilsner and an 8 oz. Barrel aged stout alongside one another. Seems like the prices vary regardless of their model in my experience. The BA stouts are never price equivalent to the lagers, even when the pour size differs. Cheers.

 

I like different sizes for the same price, but more in relation to ABV than style, though, those tend to correlate.

 

It's also more socially responsible to not have 14% BA Stouts in pints IMO

 

I agree with the different sizes depending on the abv/costs to brew the big beers. Serving high abv beers in a pint concept is just asking for trouble because of the ease of over-serving a customer who later gets into a car and drives into a major accident scenario. It's very easy to lose the liquor liability insurance coverage, then you're out of business.

EDIT: Offering half pours is a nice option, but I think offering a sampler flight is more important than the half pours.

 

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I gotta say, seeing 10oz as the serving size on Untappd and then instead getting a full pint... I'm grinning like an idiot.

 

well as long as I pour some out for my dog and let my kids have a couple sips it's legit right?

More seriously, I can't think of a single time that the pour size or the pricing format has been of note to me. As long as both are clearly stated then I'll decide whether I think the things on offer are a reasonable value or not. I do appreciate portion size options

 

I always appreciate the option of purchasing half pours. When I visit a tap room or craft beer bar, I like to try multiple different beers, but don't necessarily want to drink multiple full pours

 

I can tell you from the inside, don't tie your pricing to the wholesale cost per ounce. Bars make the mistake of over charging for expensive kegs when they get it into their head that every serving should have a 200% or 300% markup. Not every keg needs to be a home run.

In reality, cheap kegs subsidize expensive kegs. You'll do much better if you keep the pricing relatively tight. Customers get pissed at an $11 pour. Not BA customers, we are different. And bars that have low brow beer, they don't charge $3 for the PBR. It goes both ways.

Also, 16 ounce Libby pint glasses do not need to be the standard pour. Go ahead and use whatever you like, but please note it somewhere. Too many sizes will kill productivity on a busy night, so two formats, max.

Cheers

 

My preference to the specific question is same price but different serving sizes.

And as other have commented, the option of a half pour is a great thing. If you choose not to purchase smaller glasses (e.g., 8 ounce glassware) which would be best from a consumer perspective just let the beertenders eyeball a half pour.

Cheers!

 

I like places like Woodstock pizza that serves everything in shaker pints and basically charges the same regardless of the beer. Nothing like getting a Barrel Aged Narwhal in a tumbler glass for like $7.

true story, but joking aside. Different sizes and glass styles based on style and abv would be my vote.

 

I will add if you do half pours make them half the cost. Always annoys me when places change $4 for a half pour but then like $7 for a full pour.

love how Sierra Nevada does it. Half price for half a pour.

 

Half pours are more important to me than flights

I almost NEVER order flights anywhere. I want a stout and if it's 10 dollars for an 8 oz pour of a stout i have never had its nice to pay 5 for 4oz

Gotta have mommy and me groups at a brewery for sure.

 

I know its rare here but i do like half pints , British style. A couple of places here in Oregon do them

 

TBH I don't worry much about price if I want to try a beer. When I hit a taproom, I'm driving to/from alone. I tend towards higher ABV beers, so I appreciate smaller doses for strong beers, 5 or 8 ounce, and I'm probably only having one because I'm driving. For weak beers, 12oz and higher are fine. Size matters.

 

I prefer it when every size pour is free! But in all seriousness, I like the mentality of flight/half/full pour of beers on tap (relative to the abv) for taprooms. It gives me freedom to try more if I want, or fixate on a certain beer

 

I think that you and your friend are over thinking things. Price your products at the level you need to to remain profitable. You're not Walmart or a local chevron franchise, you can't afford to offer loss leaders. You might not make the same margin per oz on each recipe, and there's likely value in the ease of customer experience to have only a couple different price points.

 

Serving beer on-premise at a brewery taproom is a differing business proposition than a distributing brewing business in that you get to see, and talk to, your end customers everyday your open. You can start off one way (e.g., all beers served in pint glasses at variable prices) and based upon customer feedback (both verbal input but sales volume data as well) you can change. Providing flexible formats (e.g., 4 ounces glass, 8 ounce glasses, etc.) is the most customer friendly way to operate since the customer gets to choose. If you serve Fruited beers in pint glasses at high prices you will know if this 'works' bases upon sales data; if you find that people are hesitant to pay $$ for a pint maybe you adjust to a smaller serving size at a lower price and see if sales improve accordingly.

Cheers!