Trade-Off $ for Quality

For me it is a combination of 1 and 3.

 

Another vote for 1 and 3 (with a "winner" in category 1 being someone like SN)

And there's homebrewing....

 

I've had some pretty decent growler fill wins. The Q:$ ratio IMO tends to lean towards growlers anyway with higher quality and daily drinkers. It's the middle of the road stuff that's case by case call with regard to money.

My lawnmower beer - Leinie shandys. I need something to wash down the grass and dust, I don't want to spend a ton on beer that I'm just sucking down anyway and most importantly, it's all kinds of cheap. If your opinion of "meh" is closer to ordinary as opposed to lower quality, than SNPA is one that I will routinely pick up for like golf or something that's good, not mindblowing but serves the purpose very well.

 

I can get Sierra Nevada around these parts for ~$1.25/bottle (depending on sales it might be a little less or more). I realize things are in the eye of the beholder, but I think that's a great quality for my money. In another thread I mentioned I haven't a beer staple but I can see Sierra Nevada becoming a staple in my fridge that I supplement with more expensive special occasion beers.

 

We have plenty of great beers at reasonable prices around here. Bale Breaker Field 41 and Topcutter for IPAs, @$10/6pack for example. I can get the Deschutes mainline brews in the $8-10 range, and plenty of growlers of great local and regional breweries in the $10 territory.

 

I do all three. Alway have some BMC or PBR or RR. I always have some normal everyday 7-10$ 6 packs. I round it out with an extensive celler of mostly 20$+ Bombers, 750's and 4 packs (approaching 200 individual bottles at my last count). Although I recently quit drinking during the week so I am spending more on high end bottles to celler.

 

Isn't this what credit cards are for?

 

No.

 

I mainly do #3, rather drink something that'll wow me 1-2 a week than drink an average beer 5-7 times a week

 

85% 1, 15% 3

 

Growler fill prices vary by the beer, but in general I find that growler fills are more expensive per ounce than the same beer in bottles. I don't think I've ever seen a growler price that I thought was a good deal, outside of the occasional situation where a store is discounting in order to sell through an old keg.

 

Growlers (at least here in california) tend to follow the price scales of bottles. For example.. I live near the Bruery and they have growler fills for 14-15$ ranging all the way to the mid 30$ range. Really depends on what you are getting.

 

I just started drinking bourbon every night instead of beer, saving me a lot of money and calories.
I'll buy special beers still though, for parties and shares, but no more spending 60 bucks a week for at home consumption.
I can get Evan Williams Single Barrel for 26 bucks and it lasts me 9 days.

 

Massive amounts of variation. Place near me can go from (for 64oz) $10 for Local Brewery IPA to something like $60 for Pannepot Reserva

 

Best value for easy to find great beer: Sierra Nevada 6 packs, your choice (seasonal 12 packs are fine if you want a little more variety, although usually I find the 6 packs ever so slightly cheaper per bottle)
Best value for reasonably good high ABV beer: Pyramid Outburst 6 packs (6.99 + tax + CRV for a quite drinkable 8.5% IIPA)
Best value for great high ABV beer: Lagunitas Seasonal bombers (3.99 at Trader Joe’s) or Sierra Nevada High Altitude series 4 packs (10.99-ish)
Best value for exceptional high ABV beer: Ballast Point Victory at Sea or Dorado 6 packs (14.99-ish, although these haven’t been as easy to find as I’d liked)

 

A combination of all 3 with a focus on #1

 

Seems to depend on the area, but in CA growler fills are not a good deal. Around here most places start off around $15. The only place nearby that has reasonably priced fills is Linden Street Brewery, at $10 for most of their beers, which is still more expensive and IMO not quite as good as Sierra 6-packs.

 

I'll add a fourth point:

4) Drink expensive beer that is mediocre at best

Unfortunately, I feel like I'm seeing more and more beer that is pricey but really nothing special