Price v. Distance

The brewer doesn't really need you to have an incentive to visit the brewery, they need you to have an incentive to buy beer at the retail store, because that's how they make the majority of their money. Having beer available at the brewery is just a courtesy, it's not how they support their business.

 

maybe im just grumpy because a growler of Lake Erie Monster at the brewery was $25.

 

Boston Lager is not made in Boston, so there goes that theory.

 

I just want to point out that small breweries (1000 bbls a year or less) depend on a tap room for higher profit margins. They can sell pints at the going rate for the area, vs. a keg to a distributor (assumes 3 tier). So that is 124 pints (no wastage) at say $4 = $496 at the tap room. You can buy a keg of craft beer at the package shop in the $150+ range around here.

There are some guys around here that do limited distribution of their main products, but save the specials for in house sale to recover the higher production cost and make profit.

 

Boston Lager is made a damn sight closer to Boston than Washington State.

 

they have breweries all across the country.

I think all the Boston Lager we get is from Pennsylvania.

 

Well, PA and OH, at least.

 

so, half-way across the country.

 

Quilmes (Argentinian lager) is cheaper in California than in southern Brazil.

 

No, not halfway across the country. Breinigsville is 325 miles from Boston, 2844 miles from Vancouver, Washington. Cincinnati is from 882 miles from Boston, 2358 miles from Vancouver Washington. The theory that distance doesn't account for the price difference holds up pretty well. And it still pisses me off that Boston Lager is a dollar a sixpack cheaper in Washington.

 

EVERYTHING is a dollar more expensive in Boston than Washington.
if it pisses you off, move to a place where the cost of living is cheaper.
It costs more to live in boston, it costs more to run a business in Boston, it costs more to distribute in Boston, taxes are higher in Boston, therefore Boston Lager is more expensive in Boston.

It's cute that you did the math though.