Finding a Happy Medium

And yet when I got High Westified in Minneapolis I was charged $8/bottle for it. (limit 2)

 

I love Lagunitas's sub-$5 bombers. Not all of them are that cheap but they shame the competition by not gouging.

 

I don't really buy/drink a lot of beer so I tend to stay away from the cheaper options. Once in a while I buy a four pack of Two Hearted cans or a sixer of Zombie Dust (if I happen to be in the area). Otherwise it's usually $14-$18 four packs or $2-$4 singles (or up to 2X that for limited release stuff). Then again, I usually only drink about 3-5 beers a week and I prefer to buy local and buy fresh.

One thing that has without a doubt helped beer prices is the state of the economy. The US economy has been growing for years. While things are tough for some and there are issues, most of us are much better off than 10 years ago. This craft boom has not yet seen an economic downturn. It will be interesting to see how the industry handles it.

 

I agree, those High Westified 6 packs were a great value for such a well made stout. Whole Foods in NYC even dropped the price to $10.99 for a week to move inventory. That was impossible to pass up.

 

Founders 15 packs can be found around the Midwest for $15.99, surprised Bells has not copied them yet. I find this price point is hard to pass up and has replaced most of my weekly purchases that used to range $10-14 a 6 pack. We still buy special 4 packs and bombers for tastings and shares though. I was not around for the last bubble but read that confusion between pricing and packaging was partially to blame in the past.

 

I starting passing up Higher priced beer when I went into IPA burnout a few years ago. I will not pay the asking price for Surly Todd the axe man. Too many good IPA's that are just as good or nearly as good for a lot less. I don't buy big buck bombers anymore. in my area Founders 12/15 packs plus SN and Summit 12 packs are the way to go. I still buy plenty of 6 packs but about $8.99 is the max for the most part. Plus the high sales tax is killer here (MInneapolis). I don't go out to drink and eat as near often as I used too. When I go to the bar now it's usually 1 to 3 beers, years ago it was 4 to 8 beers. Ya age is part of it to with bar drinking. I am getting old. But the total price with tip at the bar is just to high. Road trips to central WI helps out with price reduction paying for gas/road trip fees

 

Well, if it helps in your computations we here in PA pay the highest beer tax of all 50 states.Of course that's why I and many others cross the Ohio line 15 min. west of me to buy alcohol,tobacco, and gasoline. We still pay a "temporary tax" to rebuild Johnstown after the 1889 flood.
http://www.poconorecord.com/news/20170701/pennsylvania-has-highest-beer-prices-in-us

 

Went to a local brewery last week and paid $7 for a 10oz pour of excellent pumpkin porter. Then noticed I could have bought a 4 pack for $13.

 

It seems to me it really comes down to market forces. If consumers demand value someone will accommodate them.

 

New England as well. And it's very difficult to rationalize getting a local 4 pack over the Founders at roughly the same price.

 

That article has more than a few things wrong with it. The $.08 tax from PA is among the lowest in the nation, as pointed out by the article.

However, the Johnstown flood tax was imposed after the 1936 flood.

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2011...ll-paying-johnstown-flood-tax-70-years-later/

And the flood tax applies only to Spirits and Wines, where the prices are set by the PLCB, and does not include beer (which has never been sold through the PLCB operated state store system).

http://triblive.com/local/westmorel...et-to-raise-prices-on-some-liquor-wine-brands

https://www.facebook.com/RepealTheJohnstownFloodTax/

So there other factors impacting the beer prices we pay here in PA. In addition those prices are often higher than found in other states, but not aways. Especially now since some grocery stores can establish a location within the store to sell beer. (I say this based on having made a few purchases at a local Acme that were comparbly priced with or lower than the same beer listed on the web page of a Delaware Total Wine store.)

 

Indeed.

Also, I can't think of many, if any, consumer goods that have decreased in price over the last 5-10 years.

 

It's particularly difficult when mid-sized craft breweries from Chicago (Half Acre, Revolution) and the west coast (Modern Times) can somehow ship in fresh beer at a lower cost than breweries within an hour of Boston.

 

Exactly. When I can buy a bomber of say, Hop Stoopid for $4.99, and I know its going to be a great brew, its harder to justify paying twice that for a bomber of something else in a similar style. I still do it sometimes, but I am becoming more reticent in doing so. I'm becoming more likely to reach for the cheaper bomber, unless the more expensive one is something I feel compelled to try for whatever reason. Price creep has definitely become more of an issue for me. It doesn't always prevent me from buying a more expensive bottle, so maybe I am part of the problem. Its hard to have a hard and fast rule with something like this, because if I see something I really want, I will pay more for it if I have the cash, but I am setting more limits for myself--I just don't always stick to those limits, admittedly. But in my everyday life, I am reaching for cheaper options. Nowadays I find myself less willing to pay higher prices, unless I am on vacation and am wanting to treat myself and stock up on some brews that are not normally available to me. So I am now much less willing to pay more, unless I am on vacation or am otherwise in an environment where I already expect to pay more, in order to try out beers I might not otherwise be able to find.

 

If I'm buying beers on draught, I tend to care MUCH less than when I'm buying something to take home with me.

The enjoyment factor is, indeed, the most important thing for me as well. That said, no reason to pay more for enjoyment if you don't need to.

 

Very true. I certainly don't buy a bottle of Oude Tart every time I go to the liquor store, but it doesn't bother me when I do. I've cut down dramatically on my 6-pack purchases the past few years simply because I can walk 10 minutes downtown and have access to $10 CAD Growler fills from 3 different microbreweries. Two more breweries offer $10 growler fills in the area if I wanna hop in the car and drive a 10 minutes.

 

That, I guess, is really the heart of the matter. In my case, I am not a volume drinker - so most of the time cost is not much of an issue. It really comes down to the enjoyment and experience factors for me. Cookout or something where I might need case volume, Sierra Nevada or Stone or Lagunitas and others are always a option for good beer/reasonable cost. But I can also do Jack's Abby and still control the spending if I am willing to shop around a bit. Buying just for myself and the missus is different where a mixed six or a bomber or two is a lot of beer.

I will say, however, that I have found myself asking "do I really want to spend this much on XYZ" more frequently lately. It isn't that I won't spend the money, it's more like I can have one or two of these and stay in my arbitrary budget, or I can get four or six of those for the same or less.

@JackHorzempa mentioned TH and Trillium - they do sell out and in pretty short order for most things. There are a couple more in the area that do so as well with on-premise only mixed between growler fills and cans/bottles - I think I';ve seen one sell out something in like a half hour. While it is somewhat different than bottle shop sales, the end result is the same. The price is what it is, maybe it's way too high, maybe not - (some, maybe lots of) people are paying so it must not be overpriced for at least a certain segment of beer drinkers. (And you get to stand in line, too...and hope what you want doesn't run out before your turn).

It is interesting that the bomber price discussion is going on (again) in another thread at the same time. To some extent, beer is an indulgence, and people are willing to spend on their indulgences as a reward. See that in a lot of things, but there has to be a limit somewhere (although by the bomber thread content I'm not so sure).

 

I remember getting miffed when I saw bombers exceeding $10. I'll pay more now, but it has to be the right beer. This is one of the reasons that I don't see $4 - 5 pounders as THAT much of an issue. It's that cost per ounce thing. Regardless, I'm not rushing out (or standing in line) to buy beer in either format.

 

Larry, as you astutely pointed out that as long as consumers are willing to pay 14 bucks (and up, mostly up) for a 4-pack of 16 ounce cans then we can not really state that these beers are "overpriced". The brewery that is most prolific at charging substantial prices (and selling out quickly) in my area is Tired Hands; they are effectively the equivalent of Tree House & Trillium in this regard. Unfortunately the fact that Tired Hands can charge so much (and get it quickly) has the 'side effect' that other small, local breweries think they can do the same. They hire mobile canning services to can their beers in 16 ounce cans with 4-pack tops and they too charge what they perceive are market conditions (e.g., 14 bucks and up). For me this is just a crazy situation. I personally refuse to purchase Tired Hands canned beers and needless to say I will not be buying the beers from other small, local breweries that price their beers in a likewise fashion. Needless to say but my lack of purchasing has zero impact to Tired Hands since they have so many customers that are willing to both line up and pay up to 25 bucks for a 4-pack.

Non-cheers to prices like 25 bucks a 4-pack!

 

I have zero expectation this is going to change in any meaningful way, and I've simply adjusted my consumption habits to my budget.

40% of the time I buy "budget craft" which is almost always $10-12/six pack in my current market. This is usually brands like New Belgium, Lagunitas, Goose Island, etc. but also encompasses 5-6% ABV locally produced beers. OK stuff, but nothing great.

55% I just go straight to PBR or High Life, especially if I'm out at a bar. Oftentimes I can find 12 oz. bottles of them for 2-3 bucks a pop at the local joints. I "grew out" of these beers at one point but recently pulled my head out of my ass and had a reawakening. It comes down to this: there is so much mediocre craft beer out there now that is OK to drink but doesn't blow my hair back and drains the wallet real quick. It occurred to me that the cost to enjoyment ratio for PBR and HL is higher than it is for mid-tier offerings that are usually extremely unbalanced in their own way. I also don't end up getting as plastered on PBR because of lower ABV, and my wallet LOVES me as a result.

5% of the time, I do splurge on the nice stuff. Limited releases, higher ABV bombers, barrel aged, etc. For awhile I was buying this stuff closer to 15-20% of the time and the "specialness" sort of wore off after a time, not to mention my alcohol budget was more expensive than food expenses (grocery store). Screw that. When I drink one of these beers now, my appreciation of it is WAY higher.

I'm a much happier beer drinker now and price creep has ceased to be a major impact on my life.