Decline in British Pubs

The price is cheap in London due to the exchange rate. A 4 or 5 pound drink is about $5-7 US whereas a few years back that would have been $8-10 US. Looking back at my expense report I even had beers at around 3 GBP. Factor in that tipping is far lower you have a very cheap night. Overall I had a great time in London, might have been the best time I've had in England.

 

Sounds like where I grew up, in North NJ where Union, Essex and Morris county all border on each other. Very well to do towns like Summit, Millburn and Chatham all had bars. Except for one in Chatham there are are gone and replaced with high end restaurants that have bars but aren't BARS.

 

Do you have an idea why this is the case? Is there a tax reason for this? Some other MA law reasons?

Cheers!

 

I guess it have various reasons, some mentioned above... yes the increasing prices of alcohol, yes the higher taxes in pubs, yes the changing of preferences of the younger generation - Millenials! But jokes aside, you can see the same thing in NYC - the old-school "dive bars", the American equivalent of English pubs, are facing a decrease in popularity while the "lounges" and "concept bars" are getting all the hype. With that said, I believe it is also about beer losing some popularity with the younger generation, who prefers drinking cocktails, or hipster liquor from boutique distilleries. And, especially in NYC, booze in bars has gotten mighty expensive, and a proof to that is the re-appearance of the hip flask. Hip flasks are considered now as a cool accessory and gift - you got tons of sites devoted to flasks, not only shops but actual content around flasks for men, like this - http://www.flaskaholic.com/best-flasks-for-men/ that attempt to create a buzz and promote stuff like monogramed flasks for groomsmen as a souvenir of the occasion - stuff, apparently, doesn't stay in Vegas anymore... So all of the above combined, it make sense to me that pubs are loosing grounds as a hangout place. Sad but true.

 

Despite the seemingly never ending price hike it's still relatively cheap to drink in UK pubs, even in London, although that depends what sort of pub you drink at. The average price round my way is £3.40 ($4.45). On the Continent it gets really expensive although bottles tend to be cheaper.

 

The coffee shop / pub combo makes good business sense as you can expand the revenue income over more hours under the same brick and mortar establishment. Similar reason some Brewers in US serve food, expand into distillery, ciders etc.

 

I will be interested to see what I pay around Bamberg soon. Last year cheap half liters were around 2.20€ in some of the villages. The most expensive of the trip was at Aying am Platzl in Munich, for the Jahrhundert from the wood, 4.70€. When one considers the exchange rate and how you tip in Germany, it was at worst equivalent to around my home area, at best a lot cheaper.

 

This is 50 times what it cost when I first drank in pubs.14 or 15 pints for £1
Strangely. I can afford it easier now

 

It depends on what its being compared to. I honestly don't think Boston is over priced vs similar areas. Boston is an expensive place no doubt but I wouldn't say its more expensive to get a beer in Boston vs Manhattan. Getting a drink in Manhattan is more expensive and so is getting a meal. Likewise getting dinner or beer in Omaha vs Boston is cheaper. You'd need to really compare apples to apples. Its one of the top travel destinations, has a lot of businesses, and a lot of universities. It would be like comparing the cost of a beer in Hemel Hempstead to the cost of a beer in London. Obviously its more expensive in London (and where would you rather be drinking a beer?).

All that being said you also need to look at the access to great/hyped beers right now in the area. You've got Trillium regularly on tap as well as other great MA beers not to mention beers from Vermont, Maine, New York, and some of the burgeoning CT beers. All those beers tend to be more expensive as well since they are in high demand (Trillium cans can cost $4-7 a piece so a sixth barrel is not cheap). The only place I've been where this amount of qualify local beer is cheaper is Vermont. If you compare the price of a beer in Burlington Vermont to the cost of a beer in Boston you will think Boston is way over priced. If you then compare the cost of rent for a bar in Boston to Vermont you'll also think Boston is way over priced but not be surprised that the beer is more expensive.

 

Bars have closed all over my neighborhood in Chicago and it is a sad thing. The area has gentrified quite a bit and maybe that has something to do with it. A previous post by self proclaimed millennial says it all really...drinking out is expensive. The younger generation is saddled by education debt that they probably didnt need in the first place. The also find it strange to drink with "strangers", when to me this is one of the main reasons to go to the bar/pub. To become a local at a place is quite nice, every time you walk in, you either have a friend (another local) that is probably there or you are friends with the staff anyway. I never call my friends to go to the pub, bc at some point of the afternoon more than likely I am going to see a couple wander through anyway. It is a social atmosphere that millennials simply do not either comprehend or care for and would rather be checking in on social media etc. Not trying to offend anyone, everyone is an individual, I get it. but that is my take and first hand observation of my neighborhood pub.

 

I think it is all of MA. Maybe Boston pricing is reasonable given the Boston real estate market. I work in Cambridge but live outside Worcester because it is much cheaper to live in Central Mass. But it is NOT cheaper to drink in Central Mass.

 

I had some good craft beers last summer in Marquette MI - Black Rocks, Upper Hand, Bells- for $3.50 a pint. Marquette is the NYC of the UP.

 

M

Marquette is great. Blackrocks is an amazing place to get affordable high quality beer. Especially if you are part of the mug club!

 

I would love to drink out more often. But in Stockholm you'll have to pay around 10$ for a 33cl pour of "quality beer". And I just can't afford that on a regular basis.

 

What's the typical price you pay for beer and what kind? Just interested, not trying to argue your points.

 

I don't remember paying less than $7 in a long time. What kind? Let's just say not Bud Light.

 

The following responses are spot on:

Personally, I drink a fair amount at home (mostly homebrew), but I can tell you that if I had to choose between drinking for less at home three or four times a week and drinking at my pub maybe once or twice a week and paying more, I'd choose going to my pub hands-down.

The pub is more about the entire experience than it is about just drinking beer. That's why I love it.

 

Ehhhh.... we'll just have to agree to disagree. I've had good cask beer and it wasn't a life-changing experience. CAMRA folks seem to think that they have a monopoly on "live" beer but a lot of craft beer in the US is bottle conditioned as well, especially the smaller batch stuff. Heck, you can even buy can-conditioned beers.

My buddy even went to the UK, visited a dozen + pubs in a week (mostly in London) and came away disappointed by the whole "real ale" scene. This is a guy who's tried 1,500 different beers in the last 3 years, is a homebrewer and certified beer judge.

 

I've never associated "British Pub" with "dive bar". Maybe that's just me.

 

Just curious, but where do you live in Chicago?

Agreed. Having a bar or pub that's "yours" is a thing of beauty. Especially when that bar or pub is a neat place with awesome people and great beer and food. I often feel a bit spoiled that I have a place like that where I can be completely at home.