Awkward ABV spot

I feel the same way and the one that gets me is Head Hunter.

 

I should probably clarify, based on some others' comments that some of the best beers fall into the 7-8% range. I'm not saying I don't like beers in that range, just that they don't fit well into my drinking schedule, so I tend to avoid buying them.

Of course, there are exceptions: I have Head Hunter and Sun King's GFJ in the fridge right now.

 

I am often in search of well made and flavorful LOWER ABV brews. Have NEVER understood the cost per ABV concept.

if 2$ a six (0.33/can) is breaking the bank--perhaps a new hobby is in order.

 

I think you got have of the reasoning behind the $/ABV line of thinking, but I think there is another idea behind it. Some people think that since you need less grain, hops, and yeast to make a session beer, they should be priced lower. Turns out that that extra ingredient cost is a relatively negligible part of the overall cost of bringing that beer to market. There was a neat infographic I'm sure someone here can find that alluded to that. Packaging, shipping, marketing, (and to a lesser extent) time, and labor etc. are all relatively static costs, regardless of ABV, and those costs make up the bulk of a beer's production cost. The end result is, for the most part, a beer's a beer.

Long story short, I agree with you. I don't mind paying the same amount for a 6-pack of session IPA and a regular IPA. On the other hand, I don't think I would pay barrel aged prices for an AAL, but I'm not sure anyone is pricing that way.

 

I'd agree but then I moved to Albuquerque and I started drinking La Cumbres Elevated IPA on the regular, which is 7.2 abv.

 

Because you are a communist. No I don't know, maybe there's a right level of buzz that they get you to, maybe it's a perception thing. I like 6% beers because it's less common and because saison Dupont is 6.5 and I love that beer, it's an interesting phenomenon related to the persuasive nature of trend as it pertains to ABV.

 

I've never found 7.4% awkward, but 7.6% is super awkward. Usually 7.5% is mildly unsettling. And don't get me started on 7.7%.

 

Martin City's Hardway IPA hits in at 7.5%, is smooth and costs $9.99 for a 6 pack. Makes for a wonderful tailgating beer, especially when your baseball team is on track for their worst season in franchise history.

 

I get it OP. My problem with these beers around 7% is that I drink in a specific way. I usually make a long evening of my session, given that days I have for that are very limited. I drink quite a few 4-6% beers. I allot myself 1 big beer, like a barleywine, imperial stout, etc. That leaves very little room for 7-8% IPAS. I make exceptions and in Fall make even more exceptions for beers like schlafly pumpkin ale.

 

There are a few, but I think this from a Huffington Post article is most commonly shared:


Keep in mind too that the graphic is missing costs like brewery lease/mortgage, utilities/maintenance, and marketing, but those can vary significantly between breweries.

To your point though, increasing/decreasing malt for more/less ABV has a negligible impact on the final cost of a beer. Consumer perception of value is another beast though.

 

We American craft beer drinkers prefer Indian things to American things, it appears.


I would say I have an sort of agree with the OP in this sense - there's a range of 7 and 9 percent for me that I generally do not consider to be "strong" beers that I should be as mindful of like 9%+ beers. They are only "slightly more alcoholic" than a 6% beer in my mind (which is obviously flawed since at the extremes an 8.9% beer has 50% more alcohol than a 6% beer).

Of course, when at a bar an 8.9% is probably in a 10oz pour versus a 14oz pour for the 6% beer, which is fine if you space out the 10oz over the same time as the 14oz.

 

I looked down at the IPAs I was drinking last night: 7.5 and 7.8. I guess I have a thing for 7s, as I can session a few or be content with one or two.

 

They say you won't appreciate a 7 till you've been with a few 5s