Make you're own six-pack in the store

You can look at it that way, I guess.

 

if you see something that looks too good for this at a wegmans in philly, be sure to check the date...they always put the old remains in there. i've seen IPAs past their best buy dates....not a surprise at the place who puts out last years pumking next to the new batch every fall.

 

I know this a sorta dick move on me for not saying anything but I made my own six pack and had 3 Praire Bombs, one Mikeller - Citra IPA, and a couple other beers in a six pack. It was around a 30 dollar six pack but they charged me for the price of the six pack holder (Descheutes Fresh Squeeze) at 10.99. I am not complaining!

 

I found xocoveza and insanity in a mixed six once.

 

It's a about the selection. Good stuff yes. Old stuff nope.

 

I usually look at what's available on the mix-a-six shelf and will make a sixer if I can find some good deals but I usually buy hoppy beer and the stuff on the mix-a-six shelf is typically old. Last one I made was FIS (x2), FBS (x2) and Lower Da Boom (x2) for $9.99.

 

Shelf stuff at grocery stores around here consists of Magic Hat, Goose Island (Honkers, etc.), Harpoon, Blue Moon... Needless to say I have never purchased a mixed six from the grocery store. I am, however, likely to pull six singles I've never had before from the shelf of the Bevie where I can continue to explore different styles, breweries, regions, etc.

 

As far as utilizing the shelf, I usually just stop by on my way home from work and pick up a beer or two. I rarely ever make an entire 6er. Just pick something up that sounds good for the night.

 

I buy singles often, but around here the "mix-a-six" selections are not usually what I am looking for.

 

I think this is great when you are first starting out but after that it seems to always be the same beers. In CT we already struggle for variation, unless you want to hunt down whales. I do usually take a quick peek, but it has been a while since I found anything worthy.

 

Around here it's 75% old Shock Top and Sam Adams varieties for $9.99 a sixer. I can't imagine why anyone would want to pay a premium to help move a supermarkets old stock.

 

You got a major steal. Are you sure they were shelf singles or did you take them from a 4 or 6 pack?
Higher Math singles are $10 per bottle at Total Wine, DFH 90 Minutes are $11 a four pack and I'm not sure what the Hercules goes for. So you got over $30 dollars worth of beer for $10.

 

Only 1 place I do it, West Hempstead Beverage ( local place that has huge selection for singles). The price still stings a bit.

 

The store where I shop allows you to purchase ANY beer they have in the store as a single. You can buy as few or as many as you like. They just divide the six or four pack accordingly and round up a dime or so. My experience is that a pick six from a preset shelf at a preset price results in a very limited selection and over priced. You end up paying $9.99 for beers that you could have purchased as a six pack for less.

 

Yea, Wegmans!
Some have better variety than others and some never change the selections, but overall it's a great thing. I usually get six different beers that I've never tried. Great way to sample and can't go wrong with the price.

 

I like the option of making a sixer of beers I haven't had yet.

 

I usually do it when a new shipment comes in and there are 2 or 3 new beers. I'll grab one of each and fill out the rest with things I've been meaning to try.

 

I've found they usually jack the price on these singles well above the 10% discount they claim on the mix a six. Generally speaking I believe they are trying to move old stock. I will selectively mix if I want to try a beer but not a sixer!

 

I have only seen this in one local grocery store and the selections are usually the older beers that didn't sell and "crafty" beers. I've utilized it two or three times.

There are some craft stores that let me build my own sixer (though not here in LA) and those were more useful.

 

I used to use mix-a-sixers more often than I do now. When I was just getting started I was ignorant of beer dating and had the common misconception of beer as a non-perishable product, and I since I hadn't tried much the mix-a-six racks had more beers that looked interesting that I hadn't tried yet. I still take advantage of singles on the shelf but it's things like German 0.5L or Belgian 330 ml singles and I'm not sure those really fit the idea of a mix-a-six as it's usually meant.

That said, whenever I'm hitting up a new store I always seek out a mix-a-six section to see if they have anything interesting and not old as dirt for the style.