Cascade Pricing in Colorado

a $17 Gose. Get the fuck out. I just got back from filling my growler with delicious Koffee Kream at Comrade for $11 with my AHA card. 64 oz. 11 bucks. Eat it Cascade.

 

I really like the Cascade beers, but they're priced to the point that I will probably only buy 1-2 a year.

 

I was at the brewery on Tuesday...

$25.

$22.

Cascade prices are outrageous at the brewery, but that's some insane markup.

 

A $5 difference on a beer that went through a distributor and a retail markup on the way plus shipping doesn't seem "insane" to me. In no way am I defending the prices, however there seems to be a little bit of reality lost here. If Bourbonic is $35 on the shelf at the brewery and only available there but I can buy it for $41.99 on the shelf here I'm not going to be all that mad, especially now that they shut down their webshop. Just my 2 cents.

 

My issue is that I don't think I'm willing to pay that much money for a Cascade beer. I don't think they're worth their high pricepoint. But that's my opinion.

 

Same thought. I don't care that is 42 bucks in Denver and "only" 37 in Portland... I care that it's 37 to begin with. No thanks, too great of stuff out there to put up with that shit.

 

.... as I mentioned earlier on this page... and I think everyone is now starting to see, since all of these bottle are available at every store I have been in the last week or two.... shelf turd city... they'll be making their way to the back of the cooler next to all the 2012 Eclipse bottles that are still sitting around at some stores...

 

Don't forget to leave room for the $40 Ale Apothecary stuff!

 

While beers that are $16-20 fly off the shelf, that $25-30 price point seems to be the breaking point for most people. At least as a regular purchase. Yes, some of the obscure lambics will always move at that price, but those are the exception and not the rule. Even some of the really good AC Golden items stagnate at $22...although their ownership probably doesn't help.
If anyone plans on pricing their beers more than $25, you'd better have some kind of insane pedigree.

 

Note to beer makers and distros/stores: I will never, ever, ever pay more than $25 for a bottle of beer unless it is the greatest beer anyone in history has ever made. And even then I won't do it. And I really... REALLY... don't think I'm alone on this.

 

Just to play devil's advocate, everyone seems to have a problem with a 25.4 oz for $25 but none of the Avery 12oz for $12?

 

YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH.

Ok valid point. But even though it's the same price per ounce, it's a lot easier to stomach $12 than $25 plus, and a lot easier to drink just 12 oz than try to take a large bottle down. Also Avery has a proven track record and I think many here are loyal to them, so if picking between an Avery BA beer or something random from out of state, I'll go with Avery.

 

I was starting to type something like this, making the argument that it's easier to stomach a $12 pour of PvW or Johnny Blue (maybe $20 for that...) at a bar than to buy a whole bottle, but didn't think it really held a candle. But it's the same concept to me. The price per ounce may not be a great deal, but it's easier to justify paying a little than a lot.

 

Right, and I think the size plays a big role as well. What if the big format sucks, or you don't like it, or is infected? With Avery, for many of the releases, you can at least buy one, try it, and if you don't like it, that's it - $12 and 12 oz. If you like it, great, you can get more and enjoy another night. With the large bottle, it's all or nothing.

I also agree with you on the Pappy pour...I can justify a pour, even at a pretty outrageous price for a few oz. of alcohol. I don't think I can justify paying several hundred dollars for a bottle, even if the price per oz. is better.

 

The smaller bottles allow you to space things out better, especially for high octane beers that might need additional time or might change. Even if it's $ for $ the same, you aren't committed to dropping all $25 to $30 in a single serving. 1 for now and 1 for later is a typical buy for me.
Beers like 120 Minute and WWS used to be shelf turds but now fly off the shelf because the market started accepting that price for 12oz beers. 6-7 years ago, that seemed crazy. At the same time, those Eclipse bottles don't seem to move any more now than they did the a month after they hit the shelf. Ditto with the Odell Woodcuts.

 

Good point about Odell Woodcut. As much as I love Odell, and I know I'm gonna almost always like their stuff, I ain't paying for those Woodcuts, and judging by the rack at Argonaut being chock-full the last time I checked, no one else is either. And I wouldn't say 120 Minute is flying off the shelves, I've seen the same bottle at Grapevine for a few weeks now...

$12 for a bottle is tough-ish to spend on, but it's better than $25, even if it's the same PPO. I can drink a 12oz Tweak but I don't wanna drink an entire 750 of a Cascade sour all alone (well I do, but I feel slightly bad about it).

 

are you sure?

 

$12 for 12oz. of 18% ABV = 2.16oz of alcohol
$25 for 25.4oz of ~8-9% ABV = 2.16oz of alcohol

Cascade is still 100% more expensive than Avery when you consider ABV.... Priorities! (j/k)

 

I had thought so. But I'm also mental so could be wrong.