Justifying bottle shop prices

I do that same thing, I think what would it cost me to drink this at the bar and then I go from there. There are also times that I look at some high priced bottles and just cant justify paying 1+$ an oz of beer.

 

When I moved to PA for work a few years ago, I'd never lived in a state with Founders. I promised I would buy myself a case of FBS as a "welcome to the adult world" gift for myself.

My roommate gave me endless shit about how much it cost ($72), but I told him I'd rather pay $3 a bottle for something I can sip at home on a quiet evening versus $3.50 for a pint of Labatt at a noisy sports bar or $6-8 for a pint of something good at the pub a mile away.

 

Saw Bomb! on shelves once here and it was $25.

 

I always consider the retail vs. bar pricing when buying at bottle shops. I also tend to spend a bit more if it is a small "mom and pop" shop because I like to support the local economy, wherever that may be.

 

I never think about bar prices when at a store, unless a store is trying to sell, say, a BCBS for $15 - in which case I'd probably laugh and make a comment such as "I can get that for less at a f**king bar"

To me bar/restaurant pricing and store pricing are two totally different animals. So in the case of Bomb! I would decide to buy it or not based on a combination of whether it was being sold at a price that was in line with MSRP / other stores, and how much I wanted to get hold of it.

 

I tend to use bar visits for something that I 'd rather not chase or missed in bottle altogether, as my simple justification for bottle prices over usual bar prices is that I'm usually going to end up spending more at a bar anyway. Take a $12 bomber - sure I can get it at a bar for half the price, but chances are I may end up having another beer plus something to snack on, plus a tip. My $12 bomber just turned into a $20+ bar visit. Yes, I had a few more beers and some food but #1, I didn't necessarily NEED to spend more for the sake of the bomber I could have bought instead and #2, I'd pay the bottle "premium" for just enjoying ti quietly at home. Guess I'm just not super social any longer like I used to be.

 

I have a general idea of what I consider fair for a 12oz/22oz/750ml/etc. I won't normally buy something too far over what I consider my top dollar amount unless it's something hard to find, or limited release. Do I think some beers are priced too high? Sure. I skip those, and pick something that I think is fairly priced. There is so much beer out there, so it's not like it's hard to find something good at a reasonable price.

 

Using that system of justification, do you just buy all the beer in a store since it's cheaper than it would be at a bar?

 

The market will decide...

 

I justify by telling myself if it's good then I shouldn't feel bad about buying it. Especially if it's something new to me or something I've really wanted to try and it's there to be bought then why not? I spent 25 on an Allagash Interlude last year and it was amazing. Haven't brought myself to getting the $40 Pizza Boy sour yet though, but it's coming lol.

 

I justify more expensive bottles by asking myself whether I might be able to buy a close equivalent for less at the same shop. So I never buy bombers of IPAs because I'm perfectly happy with rough equivalents that I can get in 6 or 12 packs. I rarely buy Imperial Stouts in bombers or cans from Oscar Blues because I really like the options in 4-packs for less than $12. I usually buy larger format German lagers and Belgian Quads or Allagash something or other because I have not been able to find a suitable equivalent at a better price point.

 

I'm always thinking this and pointing it out. It's just amusing to see people not think this way and be so inconsistent with their opinions.

 

This is actually one of the beers that I was referring to that I buy from time to time - even at that price.

 

It was superb I must say haha. I bought in on vacation and then we started getting Allagash in NY and I found it 5 dollars less. Go figure.

 

I know the guy who owns the local bottle shop in my hometown, so I like to support him/his business. I truly like my local breweries, so drinking "local" is easy and worthwhile. Drafts at the bars I frequent can sometimes be more than the price per bottle, but I like the human vibe and again there is value (to me anyway) in supporting my local hangouts and bartenders...in short, spread the love

 

Yeah, you're just fooling yourself. The bottle shop price is your base line. I justify bar prices by what I pay in the shop, the complete opposite of what you're doing. Bar prices are a rip off.