Variety packs - any value in them?

Mix-a-six is beneficial if they are new to you, but not so much if they are already favorites. Variety packs are pretty sweet, especially from the solid breweries. This week at my local shop, OB Canundrum 12 pack is the beer of the month, at 14.99 and a free pint glass!
But, I'll tell ya, I know a certain NY brewery that should have one out but doesn't. THAT would be a thing of beauty!

 

IMO @dennis3951 wins a Gold Star for his suggestion of:
"Six Point should do a 2 bottles each of 6 beers at least 1 of which is new. (2 would be better)"

And yes, having 2 rotating beers in the variety pack would be better.

Cheers!

 

Last years beercamp pack was pretty good

 

I have found great value lately in the Sierra Nevada IPA mix and the Otter Creek mix. I also enjoy a non IPA mix every now and then.

 

Stone is doing it right IMO. Well priced mix packs that vary seasonally with clearly marked dates. I don't see what's not to like, unless of course there is a beer in the mix that you are just not fond of. It's a different value depending on who you ask.

 

I enjoy the pre-packaged variety packs and the mix a six packs. They are both great ways to try many different beers and styles, especially when they cater to specific seasons or occasions.

 

I like the idea of variety pack's, but they tend to be of beers I've had before. If my goal is to try new beers and a variety pack has 3 out of 4 beers I've tried, I'm not going to buy a 12-pack for the one variety I'm missing, especially if that variety is available outside the 12-pack. I think adding a variety pack exclusive could work to remove this problem from a brewer's standpoint, like FW did by adding Velvet Mocha Merlin. Overall though, I usually forego the variety packs, even though I like the idea of them. I rarely want three of the same beer and mixing and matching is easy in NYC/Long Island as already mentioned. A variety 6-pack with 6 different beers, on the other hand... that is something I would definitely buy.

 

I don't know what it's like in NB, but I went to Quebec a few weeks ago and the beer prices were awesome (especially with the favorable exchange rate). Although there was very few imports. Nearly everything I came across in bars and stores was Quebecois.

 

Same here, and I agree. Years ago buying a 24 pack variety case was a great option for me because I got to try a lot of different beers from different breweries and I lived with my girlfriend so this was a fun thing for us to do and the beers never lingered for too long. Now I have more purchasing options around me and the gf is long gone so no need for me to buy the 24 packs as much anymore, but the 12 packs are great.

I love variety packs and am a semi-regular buyer of them and I don't think a brewery could go wrong by doing them.

 

Mix 6 usually never. However when I was first starting out I bought the Unibroue 6 pack and holy shit. I think 4 of those were on the old Beers of Fame and the other two were crap but so what. I've had so many different beers now that I would have to be in a foreign country to try a Mix 6 of singles.

 

I don't often buy the variety packs but do like them just for the convenience crossing the boarder and picking up a case and getting a selection of a breweries offerings that id other wise wouldn't have access to.

As long as the offering are fresh and well current line up, i have no issues at all with them.

 

Only when I like ALL beers included in the pack AND the mix pack includes a release that is unavailable packaged otherwise. Even then, I rarely (almost never) purchase them.

 

Quebec is extremely cheap. I often travel there and grab a load of beer (the Quebec border is only a few hours away from where I live) because it's so much cheaper. You can find lots of imported craft beer but you really have to look for it. I usually end up grabbing lots of domestic beer because of it being so readily available pretty well everywhere.

Domestic beer (macro) is not much over a dollar a beer (CAD) in Quebec where we pay nearly three dollars a beer in New Brunswick...Just to give you an example of why people like myself travel to Quebec fairly regularly for beer.

 

Beer camp variety was a complete let down IMO. I put the word put I wanted it. Three people grabbed me one. Drank all 3 Think I'll pass on next go around of this.

 

Oh okay. Good to know. I was very happy to spend so little on awesome beer. I even found 3F Gueze and Cantillon Gueze BIO at a bar for lower than store prices would be here (in the rare event either of these made it to me). I wonder why the price discrepancy. Definitely can't complain, either way.

 

Depends on the brewery. Some seem to be attractive and well thought out and others a clearance. I like Sierra Nevada packs. And Otter Creek on the move now just came out with a fantastic variety pack. All great beers that fit different situations in the summer; session, full out IPA, citrus etc. I will say that if Sixpoint came out with a variety with base beers and an extra in those tall slim cans you would have a winner in my book. I would buy. A lot.

 

Government has a huge part in the discrepancy. In Quebec, all beer is sold in Privately owned stores (Liquor on the other hand is sold in Govt. run stores).

In New Brunswick, all alcoholic products (including beer) are sold in Govt. run "agency" stores. Because privately owned stores are in no way involved, the Govt. run stores can basically charge whatever the hell they want to for their products and not face the consequence of lost business. Quite shitty if I say so myself.

 

Just depends on whose mix pack it is and the offering. I've had them range from stellar to meh over the years. It is a nice way to try a new to you breweries offerings without over committing. Can also be a really good value at times and I definitely appreciate the variety they offer.

 

If it is a brewery I like, I will normally pick up there variety 12 pack. I would definitely pick up a @Sixpoint variety pack.

As for mix 6ers I have become a fan. A store by me recently switched to having most of there beers as singles. I tried some stuff that I wouldn't have bought a 6 pack of. Flying Dogs Dead Rize was something I wanted to try but was pretty sure I wouldn't like. I picked up a single and loved it. So cheers to the mixed pack.